A third of Wellington’s kākā parrot chicks found to have lead in their blood

A native New Zealand parrot, the kākā, in Wellington. A new study has found lead in the blood of more than a third of chicks. Photograph: Judi Lapsley Miller

Lead has been detected in nesting native kākā chicks in Wellington, but unusually, the birds look to have developed a tolerance to the toxin, a study has found.

Kākā are a noisy, smart parrot, with bright green plumage and blood red patches under their wings and chest. They are particularly animated at dawn and dusk, and some Wellingtonians are known to curse their raucous squawking, while others delight in their cheekiness.