"Black Robin" named New Zealand's Bird of the Year

In an exceptional story embodying the success of wildlife conservation efforts, the critically endangered “Black Robin” was crowned “New Zealand Bird of the Year” after garnering more than 26,000 votes in a competition that saw record participation of 105,000 people, equivalent to roughly one in every 50 New Zealanders. This rare bird is endemic to the remote Chatham Islands, located approximately 800 kilometers east of New Zealand’s South Island, and its current population does not exceed 350 individuals. Its survival story is one of the most prominent success stories in efforts to conserve endangered species: in 1980, its numbers had dwindled to just five birds, including only one female capable of breeding, before conservation programs succeeded in rescuing it from extinction and gradually increasing its population to around 350 birds. In the competition results, the “Black Robin” outperformed the “Kākāpō,” which placed second, while the “Kārearea” (New Zealand falcon) came in third. The nature conservation organization “Forest and Bird” organizes this annual vote to highlight New Zealand’s native birds and raise awareness of the threats they face. Since its inception in 2005 as a simple email poll, the competition has evolved into a widely followed national event, accompanied by organized promotional campaigns, humorous “memes,” and intense competition across social media platforms. With the crowning of the “Black Robin,” the group that led its campaign is looking to leverage this attention to establish a third habitat for the bird, thereby contributing to increasing its numbers, expanding its range, and reinforcing efforts to protect it from extinction.