Endangered Kārearea Soars to Victory in New Zealand's Bird of the Year

In the 2022 edition of New Zealand's annual Bird of the Year competition, the country's national falcon, the kārearea, has emerged victorious. The kārearea, which can reach speeds of up to 200km/h while diving, took 21% of the valid votes cast in the hotly-contested race.

The competition, now in its 20th year, aims to raise awareness of the many native bird species in New Zealand that are considered to be in danger. This year's event saw a record number of over 75,000 votes cast, with each of the 73 participating birds having a volunteer campaign manager who sought to win over the public through memes, reels, and hand-drawn posters.

According to Nicola Toki, the chief executive of the conservation group Forest & Bird that organized the poll, the top 10 birds in the competition "matches the statistics exactly - 80% of them are in trouble." Two of the contestants, the kākāpō and the karure black robin, are classified as "nationally critical," with fewer than 300 birds remaining.

The kārearea's victory will be celebrated with the release of a new waiata, or Māori language song, dedicated to the species. The kea and the kakaruia or black robin followed closely behind, securing the second and third spots respectively.