New Zealanders take birds seriously. Honestly, it’s a bit intense. While the rest of the world worries about political scandals or economic shifts, Kiwi social media feeds regularly erupt into heated debates over the beak shape of a duck or the specific "vibe" of a flightless parrot. Bird of the Year New Zealand isn't just a quirky little poll. It is a cultural phenomenon that has, at various points, involved international voter fraud, massive celebrity endorsements, and even a controversial win by a bat.
Yes, a bat.
But why do people care? It’s simple. New Zealand is a land of birds. Before humans arrived, there were almost no mammals here. Birds filled every ecological niche. We have birds that act like mice, birds that act like deer, and birds that have completely forgotten how to fly because, for millions of years, there was nobody on the ground trying to eat them. This annual competition, run by the conservation group Forest & Bird, has turned that biological quirk into a high-stakes popularity contest that actually saves species.
The Time a Bat Ruined (or Saved) Everything
You can't talk about Bird of the Year New Zealand without mentioning the great Long-tailed Bat scandal of 2021. Forest & Bird decided to include the pekapeka-tou-roa (the long-tailed bat) in the lineup. They argued that as one of New Zealand's only native land mammals, it faced the same threats as the birds—predators like rats and stoats.
The internet lost its mind.
The bat won by a landslide. Some people were furious, claiming the "Bird" of the Year title was now a lie. Others loved the chaos. What most people missed was the genius of the move. It got people talking about conservation in a way a standard "save the kiwi" campaign never could. It proved that this competition isn't just about being pretty; it’s about visibility. If a tiny, furry thumb-sized mammal can dominate the headlines, it means people are paying attention to the bush.
It’s Actually a Lesson in Dirty Politics
If you think this is a polite vote, you’re wrong. It’s brutal.
Campaign managers are appointed for different species. These aren't just random volunteers; they are often savvy social media creators or local businesses. They create memes. They dig up "dirt" on other birds. When the Kākāpō—the world's heaviest, flightless, and arguably most charismatic parrot—won for the second time in 2020, there were accusations of "big bird" bias.
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Then there’s the voter fraud.
In 2020, organizers discovered 1,500 fraudulent votes for the Little Spotted Kiwi. Someone in Australia tried to rig the election. Why? We don't really know. Maybe they just really liked the kiwi. Maybe they wanted to watch the world burn. The year before that, hundreds of votes from Russia were flagged. It sounds like a spy novel, but it’s just people getting way too invested in feathered creatures from the bottom of the world.
The Pūteketeke: When John Oliver Changed the Game
In 2023, the competition went global in a way nobody expected. John Oliver, the host of Last Week Tonight, discovered the Pūteketeke (the Australasian Crested Grebe). He didn't just mention it; he went on a full-scale "campaign of terror" to ensure it won. He bought billboards in Mumbai, Tokyo, and Paris. He appeared on The Tonight Show in a giant bird costume.
The result? The Pūteketeke received over 290,000 votes.
To put that in perspective, the total population of the bird in New Zealand is less than 1,000. It was a landslide that crashed the voting site. Some locals grumbled that "American interference" was ruining the local spirit of the prize, but Forest & Bird laughed all the way to the bank. The influx of donations and global eyeballs on New Zealand conservation was unprecedented. The Pūteketeke, a bird known for its weird mating dance and the fact that it eats its own feathers to pad its stomach against fish bones, became a global superstar overnight.
Why We Need the Bird of the Year New Zealand
New Zealand's birds are in deep trouble. That's the sad reality behind the memes.
Around 80% of our native birds are threatened or at risk of extinction. The main culprits aren't climate change alone, though that’s a factor. It's the "Big Three": rats, stoats, and possums. These invasive species were brought over by settlers and have been decimating bird populations ever since.
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- The Kiwi: Iconic, but chicks have a 5% survival rate in the wild without predator control.
- The Kea: The world's only alpine parrot. Highly intelligent, known for ripping rubber off cars, and critically endangered.
- The Hoiho: The Yellow-eyed Penguin. It’s likely the rarest penguin in the world, struggling with disease and habitat loss.
The Bird of the Year New Zealand competition turns these depressing statistics into a game people want to play. It’s "gamified conservation." When you vote, you usually end up reading about the bird's plight. You might even donate five bucks. That money goes directly into pest trapping, habitat restoration, and advocacy.
How the Voting Actually Works
It’s not a simple "one person, one vote" system anymore. They use a preferential voting system, similar to how some actual governments work. You rank your top five birds.
This means the "second choice" bird often wins. It prevents the most famous birds, like the Kiwi or the Pīwakawaka (Fantail), from winning every single year. It forces you to look at the underdogs. You might come for the Kākāpō, but you stay for the Rowi or the Banded Dotterel.
The strategy is intense. Campaigners will form alliances. "If you vote for the Kea as your #1, make the Rock Wren your #2!" It’s basically Game of Thrones but with more preening and fewer beheadings.
The Most Underrated Contenders
Everyone knows the big names, but the real soul of the competition lies in the weirdos.
Take the Kōkako. It’s a blue-wattled bird that doesn't fly well; it mostly hops through the trees like a structural engineer. Its song is haunting—a deep, organ-like flute sound that echoes through the misty forests of the North Island. Then there's the Godwit (Kuaka). These birds are the ultimate athletes. They fly non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand. No bathroom breaks. No sleep. Just 11,000 kilometers of pure willpower.
And don't forget the Kārearea, the New Zealand Falcon. It’s a tiny murder-machine that can fly at 100km/h and isn't afraid to dive-bomb a human if they get too close to the nest. It’s the "bad boy" of the ballot.
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How to Get Involved Next Time
You don't have to be a New Zealander to vote. That's the beauty of it. Conservation is a global issue, and the "interlopers" are now a welcomed part of the chaos.
- Follow the drama: The official Forest & Bird social media accounts are where the real campaigning happens. Watch for the memes.
- Pick a niche bird: Don't just go for the Kiwi. Look into the Tara Iti (Fairy Tern)—there are only about 40 of them left. They need your vote more than the famous ones.
- Donate if you can: The vote is free, but the "Verified Bird Voter" status often comes with a small donation option. It’s the most direct way to help.
- Learn the Te Reo names: Most birds are referred to by their Māori names. Learning them is a great way to respect the indigenous culture that has looked after these birds for centuries.
The competition usually runs in October or November. Keep an eye on the news around that time; if a talk show host starts wearing a beak, you'll know it's started.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that this is just a bit of fun. While the tone is light, the data gathered from the competition is actually useful. It shows which species the public is most connected to, which helps organizations decide where to put their advocacy efforts.
Another mistake? Thinking a bird is "safe" because it's popular. The Tūī is everywhere in New Zealand gardens. You see them every day. But their survival depends on constant, aggressive trapping of rats and possums. If we stop the work, the birds disappear. It's that simple.
Bird of the Year New Zealand keeps the pressure on. It reminds the government and the public that these animals are part of our national identity. We aren't just a country of people; we’re a country of 168 different species of birds, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Practical Steps for Bird Lovers:
- Check your backyard: If you live in NZ, look into "Predator Free 2050" and see how you can trap in your own garden.
- Plant native: Birds need food. Trees like Kōwhai, Tecomanthe, and Harakeke (flax) are like a buffet for Tūī and Kererū.
- Keep cats indoors: It's a tough conversation, but roaming cats are a leading cause of bird death in suburban areas. Bell collars help, but staying inside at night is better.
- Support the 'Bird of the Year' winners: Often, the winning bird gets a surge in funding and specific projects. Look into the 2024 and 2025 winners to see how you can support their specific recovery programs.
This competition is a weird, wonderful, and occasionally frustrating tradition. But as long as it keeps people talking about the difference between a Mohua and a Piopio, it’s doing its job. New Zealand wouldn't be New Zealand without the noise of the bush. Every vote, even a joke vote for a bat, helps keep that noise alive.