From chess, to conkers, to fishing – it appears no contest these days is safe from in controversy nowadays, and New Zealand’s annual ‘bird of the year’ competition is no exception... Because this year, one bird has been banned 👀
– it appears no contest these days is safe from accusations of cheating and being shrouded in controversy.
The kākāpō is the heaviest species of parrot in the world, is nocturnal, and has a cute face like an owl yet cannot fly. It lives until around 90 years old and may also have the longest life expectancy of all birds globally. v is the only species to have been named New Zealand’s favourite bird twice – in 2008 and 2020 – yet whenThe organiser of the contest, Forest and Bird, denied the kākāpō had been permanently banned.
She previously said ‘of course, the election remains fundamentally democratic,’ adding the vote aims to ‘channel love to some of our feathered friends that may be overshadowed by their flashier, chonkier or louder cousins’.