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Download AudioSmall birds are on the radar for this year’s Bird of the Year competition.
Forest and Bird chief executive Nicola Toki says while public awareness of big cute birds such as kakapo, kiwi and penguin is high, smaller manu or under birds can also be amazing.
“Do we know much for example about pūweto of the spotless crake which is this weird-looking weka-type bird, smaller than that with bright red eyes, which stalks around in wetlands, or one of my favourites the ngutuparore or the wrybill which is the only bird in the world with a beak that curves to the right and it uses that for scraping round under stones when it’s walking around in braided riverbeds,” she says
There are 71 birds to choose from this year, including 20 under birds in need of some love and attention.
Voting for Te Manu Rongonui o Te Tau begins on Monday.
https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/
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