NZ celebrities campaign for 'bird of the year'
15 Sep 2009
Kiwis (the non-feathered variety) have gone to the polls to elect a new top bird and - in what’s promising to be a closely fought election - some native species have even hired campaign managers to boost their roost.
Forest & Bird Society launched a ‘Bird of the Year’ competition this week, and voters have a month to make their online selection from a long list of feathered friends - just some of the country’s 73 rare native birds now under protection.
A flock of New Zealand celebrities is throwing weight behind the campaign, including opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa who is singing the praises of the kereru (native wood pigeon), poet Sam Hunt who’s pushing the poaka (pied stilt), TV bugman Rudd Kleinpaste who claims the karearea (NZ falcon) is the boy racer of the skies, and TV presenter Jeremy Wells who is campaigning for the royal spoonbill.
Bird of the Year
The annual 'Bird of the Year' poll is run by Forest and Bird, an independent conservation organisation involved in protection of all native species and wild places.
Over the next month the online poll will feature blogs and videos from campaign managers imploring the public to vote for their favourite bird.
Lining up for top bird again is 2008 winner, the kakapo - New Zealand’s giant nocturnal flightless parrot.
Kakapo ranger and campaign manager, Dana Boyte says that despite last year’s win the ‘Lothario of the bird world’ is gunning for a repeat performance based on the parrot’s two main attributes - charm and devastating good looks.
Jeremy Wells - billed to win
‘Birdland’ TV presenter Jeremy Wells reckons the royal spoonbill deserves to win the 2009 competition because of its spoon-like bill, sense of humour and devastating good looks.
In his inaugural campaign speech, Wells cut to the chase by criticising other contenders including New Zealand’s iconic kiwi which he described as "boring".
The grey warbler, Wells said, was "lacking in sense of humour whereas a spoonbill would laugh at everything, and was possibly the funniest looking bird.
"The kiwi might have a long bill but the spoonbill is the only bird with a spoon-shaped bill. It doesn’t need any handouts from the government - in fact it flew here itself in the 1930s."
Dame Kiri "Te Kereru" Kanawa
While radio broadcaster Kim Hill is endorsing the forest-flitting fantail, and writer Steve Braunias is putting pen to paper for the white-faced heron, Dame Kiri "Te Kereru" Kanawa will be singing the praises of New Zealand forest heavyweight, the wood pigeon.
The kereru is one of New Zealand’s "berry, berry important birds", according to Dame Kiri’s blog.
"It sings with only a gentle coo-ing sound but more importantly the kereru has a unique relationship with the trees of the bush and forest.
"These are the only NZ birds with beaks big enough to take in and swallow the large native berries - puriri, miro, karaka, nikau and kahikatea seeds. By eating these berries they grow fat and beautiful. They’re known to get drunk on the berries and fall over - which is most endearing," said Dame Kiri.
The poet & the pied stilt
Poet Sam Hunt lives amongst the birds in the Kaipara harbour, near Auckland, and is campaigning for his feathery neighbour, the poaka or pied stilt which he describes as a stunning actor, and a sloppy architect.
"There’s nothing I don’t love about these birds. I love the way they don’t give too much of a toss about nests. A few sticks and twigs do the trick - so long as it carries the eggs safely. A scoop on a sandbank, again, a few twigs. That’s home."
Radio presenter Damian Christie has started a cult following for New Zealand’s polygamous swamp hen, the pukeko - a bird that should be laughed out of the water, according fellow broadcaster Graeme Hill, who’s vigorously campaigning for the grey warbler.
Meanwhile serious blogger David Farrar is backing the cheeky kaka.
Competition upsets
In total, 43 native birds are listed but voters are invited to add the name of their favourite species if it is not on the list.
Just two days into voting, the election is already providing some upsets. The tiny rifleman, which stands just 8cm tall and is often overlooked, is leading the poll.
The offal-eating skua, with its hooked beak and piratical habit of attacking gulls and other seabirds, has earned just two votes so far. Campaigners are hoping the bad boy appeal might save the skua from becoming the underbird of the competition.
The fantail and tui, both previous ‘Bird of the Year’ winners are already faring well but the kiwi is again trailing. Shockingly, in last year’s poll, New Zealand’s iconic forest bird for the first time failed to make the top 10, coming in at 13th place.
The 'Bird of the Year' poll closes on 14 October. Votes can be cast online at forestandbird.org.nz
More information:
Vote for 2009 Bird of the Year
New Zealand's iconic birds
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