New Zealand’s only falcon, the threatened kārearea, has been voted bird of the year in the country’s beloved annual competition. Known for its speed – reaching up to 200km/h when diving on prey – the kārearea beat out 72 other contenders in what organisers described as a rare scandal-free contest.
The small tawny raptor, with its piercing dark eyes and sharp talons, is the nation’s only remaining endemic bird of prey and plays a vital role in ecosystems as a top aerial hunter. Yet its population of just 5,000 to 8,000 remains under pressure from predators such as cats, stoats and hedgehogs that raid its ground nests, as well as habitat loss and collisions with power lines or nets.
“The kārearea is just a stunning bird,” said Emma Blackburn, chair of the Karearea Falcon Trust. “It’s our only remaining endemic raptor and a really important part of our ecosystem.”
This year’s contest, organised by conservation group Forest and Bird, drew more than 75,000 verified votes from 123 countries. The kārearea also won in 2012, making it only the third bird to claim the crown twice, alongside the kākāpō and hoiho.
The kea, New Zealand’s mischievous alpine parrot, came second, while the gothic-black karure robin of the Chatham Islands placed third.
First launched 20 years ago, the competition has raised awareness of New Zealand’s fragile birdlife, often through controversy – from a bat winning in 2021 to John Oliver’s viral campaign for the pūteketeke in 2023.
But beyond the humour and global campaigns, Forest and Bird’s chief executive Nicola Toki said the message is serious: “This year’s top 10 matches the statistics exactly – 80% of them are in trouble. People fall in love with these birds – and once they know their stories, they care, they advocate and they act.”
