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One of the world’s rarest penguins, the hoiho, has been named New Zealand’s Bird of the Year in 2024. This marks a peaceful year for the competition after previous scandals involving foreign interference and voting manipulation.
The endangered yellow-eyed penguin, also known for its loud, shrill call, is native to parts of New Zealand's South Island and the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands.
Known for its distinctive pale yellow band of feathers around its eyes, the hoiho’s population is in serious decline, with only about 4,000 to 5,000 left globally.
Mainland breeding numbers have plummeted by 78% in the past 15 years, including an alarming 18% drop just last year. Threats include disease, attacks from dogs attracted to their fishy scent, and drowning in set nets.
Since its launch in 2005, the Bird of the Year competition has become a focal point for wildlife advocacy.
In past years, controversies like a bat winning in 2021 and accusations of Russian and Australian meddling added drama to the event.
However, 2024 saw a more local approach, with the hoiho campaign backed by a coalition of wildlife groups, a museum, a brewery, and even a rugby team in Dunedin.
This year, more than 52,000 verified votes were cast, a significant drop from the 350,000 received in 2023, which had been driven by comedian John Oliver’s global campaign for the pūteketeke.
Despite the lower numbers, the hoiho garnered 6,328 votes to secure the top spot. It had endorsements from conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall and former New Zealand Prime Ministers Helen Clark and Chris Hipkins.
The hoiho joins the kākāpō as one of the few birds to win the title twice, having first claimed the crown in 2008.
This year, the tiny karure, a small black robin, came second, while the kākāpō, a large, long-living parrot, took third place.
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