Bird of the Year: Hoiho, kākāpō neck and neck at halfway mark

Monday, 4 November 2019

The kākāpō is at the top of the table in the 2019 Bird of the Year contest (file photo).

The kākāpō and hoiho are leading the flock in the hotly-contested Bird of Year competition.

But, halfway through the voting period, it's still any bird's game as the votes are close.

King and gentoo penguins at Auckland's SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium brainstorm for their cousin the hoiho's Bird of the Year campaign.

The organiser of the annual avian electoral race, Forest & Bird, is using a Single Transferable Voting (STV) system this year where Kiwis can rank their five favourite native birds.

So far, the hoiho, also known as the yellow-eyed penguin, has the most 'number one' votes at 1441.

The native hoiho is among the most endangered penguins in the world.

Voting is back underway for New Zealand's most hotly-contested annual election.

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However, the kākāpō is winning overall with 3099 'top five' votes, just 253 votes ahead of the hoiho which has been ranked in voters' top five lists 2846 times.

Forest & Bird spokeswoman Megan Hubscher said with a week of voting left, any of the candidates could take out the competition.

'These results are close, and could easily go in any direction. No one wants the decision to be made by a coin toss as we've seen in recent human elections, so it's vital to make democracy count by spreading the word, and getting your friends and family voting.'

Last week, SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium in east Auckland announced it was backing the hoiho.

Photos taken by staff at the aquarium show the king and gentoo penguin residents casting their ballots for their hoiho cousin at 'NZ Avian Electoral Commission' polling booths.

The kākāpō was crowned Bird of the Year in 2009.

Voting closes at 5pm on Sunday November 9. To cast your vote, click here.

As of November 3, the five birds with the most 'number one' votes are:

1. Hoiho, yellow-eyed penguin, 1441 votes

2. Kākāpō, with 1339

3. Pīwakawaka fantail, 737 votes

4. Tūturiwhatu, banded dotterel, 698 votes

5. Kererū, wood pigeon, 672 votes

Under the STV system, the following contestants are at the top of the table:

1. Kākāpō, 3099 votes

2. Hoiho, yellow-eyed penguin, 2846 votes

3. Kakaruia, black robin, 2201 votes

4. Pīwakawaka, fantail, 1768 votes

5. Kererū, wood pigeon, 1745 votes