15 Nov 2023

Bird of the Century winner announced

From Nine To Noon, 9:35 am on 15 November 2023
The Australasian Crested Grebe has won The Bird of the Century

The Australasian Crested Grebe has won The Bird of the Century Photo: Dave Thomas

The results are in for the Bird of the Century, with the winner announced as Puteketeke - the Australasian Crested Grebe. This years result had to be delayed after a massive influx of hundreds of thousands of votes from around the world temporarily crashed the online voting website. This came after British-American comedian and television host, John Oliver, launched a campaign in support of the Puteketeke. The attention is a welcome from conservationists, as the Crested Grebe is one of New Zealand's rarest birds, considered nationally vulnerable. John Darby is an avid champion of the Puteketeke - having worked tirelessly to help save the population.