After previously championing the hoiho yellow-eyed penguin, Dunedin is throwing its weight behind the red-billed gull in this year's Bird of the Year contest.
Enterprise Dunedin manager Mike Costelloe explained the decision to back the tarāpunga despite its reputation for squawking angrily and stealing food.
“Admittedly, they have a bit of a PR problem and can ruffle feathers when they swoop in and swipe people’s chips, but New Zealand wouldn’t be the same without them,” he said in a statement.
“The red-billed gull is the stand-out candidate to vote for this year because it’s cheeky, charming and quintessentially Kiwi."
The Dunedin City Council was among a group of local organisations campaigning for the tarāpunga, including the Wildlife Hospital, The Monarch, Otago Shore and Land Trust, Port to Port Ferry and Wildlife Tours, the Royal Albatross Centre and OPERA Wildlife Conservation Tours.
The bird’s conservation status is ‘at risk – declining’, and the national population is predicted to plummet by 50-70% over the next 30 years.
However, Dunedin’s Taiaroa Head is home to the only red-billed gull breeding colony in the country where the population is increasing, thanks to predator control efforts and other coastal conservation work around the city.
“In supporting the red-billed gull for Bird of the Year in 2025, we hope people will take the time to discover more about these misunderstood manu and maybe even learn to love them,” Mr Costelloe said.
- Allied Media
