New Zealanders have cast a record number of votes in this year’s Bird of the Year competition, run by Forest & Bird.
More than 90,000 votes were counted, with 88 percent of them — nearly nine in every ten — cast by people here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Forest & Bird’s Rebecca Hatch said that made it “the biggest homegrown Bird of the Year ever.”
It was also the closest contest yet, with more than 70 birds competing for votes.
Hatch said five of the top 10 birds have never won before, so this year could bring a brand-new champion.
The winning bird will also get its own song, written by singer Moana Maniapoto as part of the Waiata Manu series.
“It’s such a nice feeling to do something very positive,” Maniapoto said.
The song series began last year to carry on the tradition of Māori composer Hirini Melbourne, who wrote many waiata about New Zealand’s native manu, or birds.
Bird of the Year has run since 2005, and last year attracted more than 75,000 votes from 123 countries.
Voting closed on Sunday, and the winner will be announced later today, 21 September 2026.
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