The win, seen by some as a much-needed PR victory for bats, has ruffled feathers among bird-lovers.
A bat has been named as New Zealand's bird of the year, in a controversial move that has ruffled feathers.Contest organisers had included the bat, one of the country's few land-based native mammals, to raise its profile as a critically endangered species.Outraged bird-lovers cried fowl on Twitter, calling it a "total farce", a "stolen election", as well as more colourful and unprintable terms.
Some on social media also saw it as a much-needed public relations victory for bats, after a particularly trying two years. But environmental group Forest and Bird, which organises the competition every year, said the bat's inclusion was not a bid to restore its image in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
that "a vote for bats is also a vote for predator control, habitat restoration, and climate action to protect our bats and their feathered neighbours!"Despite being our only endemic land mammal, most people don't even know they exist, which makes their win even more outstanding.