Bird of the Year 2022

[Birdsage]

Bird of the Year ‹ Forest & Bird
The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society’s annual New Zealand “Bird of the Year” contest is active!
This year, it is encouraged to vote for some selected “underbirds”, less popular species in imminent need of conservation help.
The New Zealand Long-tailed Bat (a non-bird, which won last year) and the Kakapo (which has won twice and would’ve won a again last year without the bat) did not reappear as candidates in this year’s contest.
Here are my picks (the top three are the same ones I voted for last year)
1. Black Stilt (one of the most endangered birds in the world, nearly went extinct)
2. Shore Plover (one of the only shorebirds to nest in heavy cover)
3. Wrybill (the only bird with a bill bent one way)
4. Pacific Reef-Heron (a member of one of my favorite families of birds)
5. Black-fronted Tern (the New Zealand member of the Chlidonias genus)

 

[birdsandbats]

It better be an actual bird this time.

 

[Dassie rat]

I'll go for the wrybill

 

[Birdsage]

It better be an actual bird this time.

Don’t worry; all of this year’s candidates are birds. As I said, the bat did not return.

 

[carl the birder]

my vote
1 black robin
2 subantaric snipe
3 rifleman
4 takaahe
5 black stint
i found it funny that they basecky h had to ban kakkapo from entering this year

 

[WalkingAgnatha]

Rock Wren
Mohua
Snipe
Crested Grebe
Fernbird

 

[Birdsage]

And the winner is…
the South Island Wren, New Zealand Rock Wren, or Pīwauwau (Xenicus gilviventris)

I feared that this year, the winner would not be an “underbird”, which would defeat the aim of this year’s contest. Luckily, that did not happen.
I quote:
Congratulations, pīwauwau rock wren! From underbird to wonderbird, the rock wren is New Zealand's Bird of the Year 2022.