Kiwi 'national bore' now NZ Bird of the Year
20 Oct 2009 - Some call it the "flightless national bore" and others a "biological oddity" but New Zealand’s iconic bird, the kiwi, has topped polls to become NZ Bird of the Year. In a tightly fought competition involving high profile campaign managers and corporate sponsors, ten native species emerged as top favourites out of a list of 73 rare, native New Zealand birds. After a month of on-line voting and a war of words between celebrity bird managers including Jeremy Wells, Sam Hunt and Kiri Te Kanawa, it was the national bird that scored the most votes - apparently with a little help from some loyal friends.
Kiwi Trust
Rumour has it that the fine-feathered ground dweller received some last minute extra support from workers at the Bank of New Zealand - which sponsors the Save the Kiwi Trust. In the final days of voting the kiwi soared into first place scoring 1586 votes of the more than 11,000 cast. It managed to beat close competitors the kea and the rifleman to take the 2009 Bird of the Year title.
But the rally of support was mixed with some disparaging comments. Some voters ridiculed the kiwi, calling it "lame" and a "flightless national bore". Forest & Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said the kiwi was "a biological oddity - it has whiskers like a cat's, it burrows like a badger, it kicks like a kangaroo and it smells like a forest mushroom".
Top perch
The kiwi's campaign manager, BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust executive director Michelle Impey, said there was no more-deserving winner for the award. The kiwi has waited six years to take top perch in the competition - last year it failed to even make the top 10.
Last year's winner, the kakapo, fell back to fourth place and despite backing by Jeremy Wells, the spoonbill was unplaced this year. Dame Kiri had campaigned strongly for the kereru calling it one of New Zealand’s "berry, berry important birds" but the large beaked bird known for it’s tendency to fall over drunk after feeding on berries, failed to make the top ten.
Previous winners of the competition include the tui (2005), fantail (2006), grey warbler (2007) and the kakapo (2008).
This year's top 10 birds:
- Kiwi (1586 votes)
- Rifleman (1230 votes)
- Kea (1093 votes)
- Kakapo (829 votes)
- Tui (619 votes)
- Takahe (571 votes)
- Fernbird (462 votes)
- Fantail (395 votes)
- Karearea/native falcon (383 votes)
- Pukeko (382 votes)