The kārearea New Zealand falcon has beaten 72 other New Zealand native birds in the 20th anniversary of the competition that attracted more than 75,000 votes from 127 countries.
"Bird of the Year has grown from a simple email poll in 2005 to a hotly contested cultural moment for Aotearoa," Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki said.
The kārearea, which is at risk due to habitat loss and predation, gained 14,317 votes.
Next highest votes went to the kea (12,506 votes) and karure black robin (11,726 votes), both of which are also at risk.
The 2025 win, announced this morning, puts the kārearea in an elite class of champions who have secured multiple titles over the past two decades (it previously won in 2012). Hoiho won in 2019 and 2024, and kākāpō took home the crown in 2008 and 2020.
After being pipped for the top spot in the final days of voting last year, the karure black robin was again just short of a win but made a strong move from fifth to secure a podium finish.
The hoiho yellow-eyed penguin (8665 votes) rounded out the top 10.
"Behind the memes and mayhem is a serious message. This year’s top 10 manu matches the statistics exactly — 80% of them are in trouble. Two (kākāpō and karure black robin) are nationally critical, each with fewer than 300 individuals remaining," Ms Toki said.
"Habitat destruction, climate change and introduced predators continue to push many species towards extinction — but public awareness can be powerful.
"People fall in love with these birds — and once they know their stories, they care, they advocate and they act."
This year, 87% of the votes were from within New Zealand. That is in marked contrast with two years ago, when United States-based talk show host and comedian John Oliver unleashed a worldwide campaign on behalf of the pūteketeke great crested grebe. The pūteketeke won the 2023 Bird of the Year competition with 290,374 votes.
— Allied Media
