Ruling the roost

The ku¯ ku¯ pa (kereru¯ ) has won this year’s Bird of the Year competition for the first time, with 5833 votes, followed by the ka¯ka¯po¯ with 3772 votes. A team led by Green MP Chlo¨e Swarbrick campaigned for the ku¯ ku¯ pa, highlighting its prodigious appetite and size. Forest & Bird runs the annual contest to raise awareness about NZ’s native birds and the threats they face.