Celebrity campaign puts the New Zealand Bird Competition in the spotlight

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Like many modern elections, the poll to determine New Zealand’s favorite bird has been beset by allegations of election fraud in recent years. foreign influence and debates over the suitability of candidates.

But this year’s Bird of the Century competition has experienced its biggest controversy yet. The vote verification system was overwhelmed by an influx of votes after American comedian John Oliver launched a self-described “alarmingly aggressive” campaign for the little-known pūteketeke – also known as the Australasian crested grebe – which he described as “weird vomiting birds”. with colorful mullet.”

Mr Oliver paid for billboard ads in a number of countries including New Zealand, France, Japan and the United States, encouraging residents to vote in the poll – which is not limited to New Zealanders.

“This is what democracy is about: America interfering in foreign elections,” Oliver said on his weekly show “Last Week Tonight.” He also highlighted some of the species’ unique traits, including carrying their young on their backs and a mating dance where “they both grab hold of a piece of wet grass and bump into each other’s chests before standing around not knowing what to do.” they have to do now.”

On Wednesday, Forest and Birdthe non-profit organization organizing the competition announced that the pūteketeke had won with more than 290,000 votes – more than 24 times more votes than the runner-up.

The poll has been running since 2005 and is a testament to New Zealanders’ love for their native birds – many of which are unique to the country and threatened by introduced species. Last year the contest received almost 52,000 votes, compared to 350,000 this year.

The overseas interference ruffled some feathers locally, at one company disapproving it amounts to Russian interference in the American elections. And because the pūteketeke is little known even in New Zealand – “there’s a good chance that, especially if you live in the north, you’ve never heard of it,” according to one article from local media outlet RNZ, referring to the country’s North Island – the victory has stunned even some of the biggest domestic supporters.

“Under normal circumstances we would be a long way from becoming Bird of the Year or Bird of the Century,” said John Darby, a retired zoologist who has played a key role in the species’ recovery over the past decade.

“It’s kind of nice in some ways, but I feel a little guilty,” he said. “There are so many other birds, some of which may deserve more.” As examples, he cited the kiwi, New Zealand’s national bird and number two in the poll, or endangered species whose conservation efforts would be strengthened by greater awareness.

Although the pūteketeke is also an endangered species, its numbers have been steadily growing thanks to the concentrated efforts of conservationists. New Zealand is home to about 1,000 of them – up from 200 in the 1980s. “We now have a reasonable understanding of the species’ conservation needs and a programme,” Mr Darby said.

He explained that the bird vomits because “it is a fish-eating bird, but its ability to eat fish with bones without injuring itself is limited.” To avoid injury, it swallows its own feathers to line its digestive system, eventually forming pellets that are regurgitated.

Due to the way its legs are positioned, the pūteketeke cannot actually walk on land and builds floating nests on lakes. Unlike other birds that brood their young by crouching over them, the pūteketeke carries its offspring on its back so that, Mr. Darby believes, if there is a threat to the parents, “they simply leave with their chicks could fall from the nest for the safety of the lake.”

In addition to threats from predators and habitat clearing, the birds’ floating nests are vulnerable to the rise and fall of water levels in lakes, Mr Darby said. In 2013, he began building a floating nesting platform on a local lake in the hope that it would provide a safer nesting site, a move that is now seen as a major initiative that has helped restore the bird population.

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