Source: Forest & Bird
Voting opens at 9am this morning. More than 70 native birds are standing across six parties, and you get to vote for up to five candidates (four more than that “other” election.)
Cast your votes
Head to birdoftheyear.org.nz, pick up to five birds, and hit submit. Each bird on your list gets one vote.
Then check your inbox. We’ll email you a link that says validate my vote. Click it, or your vote doesn’t count. If you can’t find it, check your spam folder.
Not sure how to vote? Watch this video.
Pick a party
Every vote also counts towards its bird’s party, so this year we also find out which flock takes the top perch. The coloured tags and circles on each candidate show its allegiance, and every party has a manu-festo.
Look for the underbirds
Every party has candidates flying under the radar. They’re worth meeting before you spend all five of your votes. Look out for an underbird badge, or filter by ‘underbirds’.
Voting closes 5pm Sunday 20 September. The winner will be announced Monday 21 September.
Meet the Pest Gallery
Every election needs journalists asking questions and no one knows the Bird of the Year candidates like the ones who’ve been chasing them for years. Introducing Studio Stoat along with reporters Kim Hedgehill and Catty Gower. Meet the pests.
More ways to get involved
- Play Birdle (like wordle but for birds)
- Get your workplace in on the game via Bird of the Year activities
- Listen to the Waiata Manu song for last year’s winner, Kārearea, by Delaney Davidson and Troy Kingi
- Spot all the Metalbirds along Ponsonby Road in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on this special scavenger hunt
Did you know that 80% of our native manu are in some or serious trouble? The jokes are funny but the stakes are real.