New Zealand Bird of the Year: “Peng-win for the Penguin!”

One smelly, shy flyer has outshined the rest and won New Zealand’s Bird of the Year award.

The hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin, won the country’s avian election on Monday, with fierce competition, bringing attention to the rare bird’s endangerment and paving the way for a possible revival of the species. 

The hoiho wins New Zealand’s Bird of the Year Award

More than 50,000 people voted, a low number for this particular competition – 300,000 fewer than last year – though fans were equally determined to represent their favourite bird, starting meme wars, seeking celebrity endorsements and even getting permanent ink to prove their loyalty. 

The hoiho, meaning “noise shouter” in Maori due to its shrill call, originates along parts of the South Island’s east coast, and in the sub-Antarctic Auckland Island, habitating native coastal forests, scrub or dense flax.

Known for its shy nature, fishy smell and pale yellow feathers surrounding its eyes, the hoiho is now the two-time winner and the “people’s penguin.”

The award brings attention to the endangered birds of New Zealand

“This spotlight couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Nicola Toki, chief executive of Forest & Bird, the environmental organisation that runs the annual competition. 

Toki highlights the importance of this win for the hoiho as there are believed to be roughly just 4,000 to 5,000 left in the world, according to the Department of Conservation, and its numbers are only declining. 

“The iconic penguin is disappearing from mainland Aotearoa before our eyes,” says Nicola.

According to Toki, the birds are “being hammered from all angles”, from diseases to dog attacks, and predation from introduced pests; unfortunately, the penguin’s signature smell is irresistible to dogs.

The penguins are also drowning in nets anchored to the seafloor with weights, and struggle to find food, Toki says, emphasising the need for marine protected areas for the survival of these penguins. 

Charlie Buchan, campaign manager for the hoiho, reiterated the hopes of this win: “The campaign has raised awareness, but what we really hope is that it brings tangible support.”

John Oliver campaigned for the puteketeke bird in 2023 reaching 350,000 votes

The Bird of the Year competition was launched in 2005 to raise awareness about the plight of New Zealand’s native birds, species which are threatened, on the brink of or already extinct due to pests, human activity and declining habitats. 

Over the years, the competition has garnered massive attention, even globally after British-American comedian John Oliver’s campaign, and birthing conspiracies over Russian interference and Australian attempts to rig the contest in favour of the shag.

After the talkshow host ran his global campaign in 2023 for the puteketeke – a “deeply weird bird” which eats and vomits its own feathers – the competition saw a spike of votes, leaping to 350,000 votes across 195 countries. 

Oliver’s “alarmingly aggressive” campaign included buying billboards in New Zealand, Japan, France, the UK, India and the US, and even flying the puteketeke campaign banner from a plane over the beaches of Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. 

His efforts were not in vain, however, when the putekete was crowned the 2023 winner. 

This year’s winner secured a total of 6,328 votes, followed closely by the karure bird, a tiny “goth” black robin found only on Chatham Island, New Zealand.