From Monday 15 September to Sunday 28 September, New Zealanders will once again flock online to vote for their favourite native birds, with the 2025 champion announced on Monday 29 September.
This year, the voting system has had a little makeover to make things even more egg-citing. Voters can still back up to five manu, but this time there’s no need to rank them. Each bird will receive the same number of points, so the winner will be the bird that racks up the most individual votes.
“Bird of the Year has always been more than a popularity contest,” says Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki. “It sparks thousands of conversations about conservation and shines a spotlight on endangered manu – especially our lesser-known, but just as loveable ‘underbirds’. I encourage everyone to think about which birds are special to them and cast their vote.”
From humble beginnings as a 2005 newsletter poll (won by the tūī), Bird of the Year has grown into a cultural phenomenon. Along the way it has produced viral memes, international headlines, a bit of vote-rigging scandal, and even controversy when the pekapeka-tou-roa long-tailed bat swooped to victory. In 2023, comedian John Oliver took the competition global, delivering a landslide win for the pūteketeke Australasian crested grebe.
The background of New Zealand’s Bird of the Year (Māori: Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau) is rooted in raising awareness for the country’s endangered native birds. Since its humble beginnings in 2005, the annual competition has grown into a significant and often mischievous national event that draws international attention. Response to public interest (2005): The competition was first launched by Michael Szabo, the communications manager at the New Zealand conservation organization Forest & Bird. He was inspired by the public outcry when a radio station considered dropping its daily bird call segment. This showed Szabo that New Zealanders had a real passion for their native birds. From poll to campaign: The first Bird of the Year was a simple email poll in 2005, which received around 900 votes and was won by the tūī. Since then, it has evolved into a nationwide online election featuring increasingly elaborate and competitive grassroots campaigns for different species. Focus on conservation: At its core, the contest is meant to highlight the threats to New Zealand’s native wildlife, including habitat loss and introduced predators like stoats, possums, and rats. The publicity helps raise funds and support for conservation efforts.
In 2021, Forest & Bird included the long-tailed bat (pekapeka-tou-roa) for the first time. The decision, though controversial, was intended to raise awareness for New Zealand’s only native land mammal, which faces similar conservation threats as birds. The bat ultimately swooped to victory, beating the two-time winner, the kākāpō.
Due to its popularity, the competition has seen several humorous attempts at voter manipulation, leading organizers to tighten voting rules.
- In 2018, allegations surfaced of Australians attempting to rig the contest in favor of the shag.
- In 2019, hundreds of votes from Russia were cast. Though initially suspicious, they were deemed to be from legitimate bird lovers.
- In 2020, a “hack” was discovered in which an individual had added 1,500 fraudulent votes for the little spotted kiwi.
The Bird of the Year went global in 2023 when comedian John Oliver launched an “alarmingly aggressive” campaign for the pūteketeke (Australasian crested grebe). His campaign, which included celebrity endorsements and international billboards, resulted in a landslide victory for the pūteketeke and drew unprecedented global attention to the New Zealand contest. That year, to celebrate Forest & Bird’s 100th anniversary, the contest was rebranded as “Bird of the Century”.
In 2024, the hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin) became a two-time champion after a strong campaign led by the Tūhura Otago Museum. It beat out the tiny black robin and secured its second victory, the first being in 2019.
Dyou want to know how to vote? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VaK2hbVg5oE
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Radio Waatea is Auckland’s only Māori radio station that provides an extensive bi-lingual broadcast to its listeners. Based at Ngā Whare Waatea marae in Māngere, it is located in the middle of the biggest Māori population in Aotearoa.
