The New Zealand Bird of the Century competition is a nationwide poll that was conducted by Forest & Bird, a conservation organization, to determine New Zealand’s favorite bird. The competition was held in 2023 to celebrate Forest & Bird’s 100th anniversary.
The competition was open to all New Zealand bird species, both living and extinct. There were a total of 75 birds in the running, including five extinct species that were added to the competition to raise awareness of New Zealand’s lost birdlife.
Voting for the Bird of the Century competition was open to the public from October 30 to November 12, 2023. Voters were able to vote for up to five birds.
The final results of the Bird of the Century competition were announced on November 13, 2023. The winner of the competition was the kākāpō, with 43,767 votes. The kākāpō is a critically endangered parrot that is only found in New Zealand.
The following are the top five birds in the Bird of the Century competition:
- Kākāpō: 43,767 votes
- Kererū (New Zealand pigeon): 39,790 votes
- Pīwauwau (rock wren): 38,552 votes
- Tūī: 34,922 votes
- Kiwi: 33,291 votes
The Bird of the Century competition was a great success in raising awareness of New Zealand’s unique birdlife. The competition also helped to highlight the importance of conservation, as many of the birds in the competition are threatened or endangered.