New Zealand’s most corrupt competition snubs South Island
Accusations again surround the now-infamous Bird of the Year
Edit: This post has been retracted after it’s been pointed out that the kea is in fact on the list of birds you can vote for. Did this ADHD-afflicted writer miss their favourite bird despite triple-checking for it, or is this a shadowy conspiracy designed to hand the puteketeke another win? You decide…
Enjoy the post and don’t forget to vote for Best Bird.
First the ferry debacle happened. Then government’s allocations in this year’s budget saw the South Island miss out on its share of funding. Now the kea has been excluded from selection for New Zealand’s most prestigious competition: Forest and Bird’s Bird of the Year.
Will the insults to Te Waiponamu never end?
Forest and Bird’s annual competition has attracted its fair share of controversy in the past, only last year being accused of outside interference over the international campaign for the puteketeke bird that saw election. participation increase tenfold, with the odd-looking waterbird attracting the lions share of the votes. The puteketeke bird is again a contender in this year’s election, but the kea is not. The alpine parrot has not won since 2017.
What gives?
Last year’s competition came under the spotlight when public figure John Oliver launched a viral campaign in a bid to crown this raggedy-looking creature about bird of the year. Described in the media as an “alarmingly aggressive” campaign, the increase in interest raised questions about the fairness of the voting process and how international monetary influence might be influencing Aotearoa’s democracy.
After sponsorship from Oliver, the puteketeke won in a landslide victory.
Last year was not the first year the competition’s crowning has been called into question; in 2021, it was won by the Pekapeka-tou-roa, or the long-tailed bat — which is, famously, not a bird.
The exclusion of the kea as a candidate once again calls into question Forest and Bird’s selection process.
Forest and Bird is one of New Zealand’s leading charities, with its annual competition attracting thousands of voters, a number that spiked to hundreds of thousands after Oliver’s interference in 2023. It pulled in $600,000 in income for the charity after his stunt, a marked increase — and it’s difficult to not make the connection between this favourable financial outcome for Forest and Bird and the puteketeke’s continued inclusion in the competition.
Some birds featured in the competition this year also appeared to be victims of sabotage, with key parts of their photos being cut off.
Forest and Bird were not approached for comment as they are probably out in the bush doing important conservation work.
The country can only hope that this year’s voting process will be cleaner than the last. But with questions circling about election integrity and a fan favourite and alpine icon already cut off from the path to victory, South Island voters must surely be wondering what processes Forest and Bird have brought in to address these concerning accusations of unfairness and bias — if any.
Members of the New Zealand (and international) public can go to https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/ to make their displeasure known.
except that the KEA. IS on the list!!!