Kākāpō crowned winner of Bird of the Year 2020
The kākāpō has been crowned Bird of the Year in an election that featured a delayed start, alliances, and voter fraud.
This is the flightless parrot’s second win, also taking the title in 2008.
Throughout the two-week voting period, the Antipodean Albatross topped the leaderboard with the most number one votes.
But the kākāpō, the original “okay boomer” for the male’s deep booming call, bounded into the lead with most votes overall once the preferential voting system was applied.
Top 10
Kākāpō, Toroa/Antipodean Albatross, Kakaruia/Black Robin,Kārearea/New Zealand Falcon, Kererū, Pohowera/Banded Dotterel, Kākā, Ruru/Morepork, Whio/Blue Duck, Pīwakawaka/Fantail.
The yellow and black hihi, the only bird to mate face-to-face, won the endorsement of Adult Toy Megastore, and that of the Deputy Prime Minister, The Wellington City Council, the Wellington Phoenix football team, and the Central Pulse netball team.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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