The pekapeka long-tailed bat, one of New Zealand's two native land mammals, entered the Bird of the Year contest for the first time in 2021 and won the top honor Kelli Bender is the Pets Editor at ...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Comedian John Oliver has succeeded in his campaign to have what he describes as a weird, puking bird with a colorful mullet win New Zealand’s Bird of the Century contest.

New Zealand’s Bird of Century poll winner revealed after ‘alarmingly aggressive’ campaign by John Oliver. US talk show host had said ‘this is what democracy is all about – America ...

Heading down the path, suddenly two bright blue birds the size of turkeys appear, all aquamarine plumage and bright red beaks. These are two Takahēs, and, nodding like chickens, they creep around, ...

Last year's Bird of the Year contest was won by New Zealand's long-tailed bat, which you may note is not a bird at all. That didn't seem to bother a significant chunk of voters though. Related Stories ...

In New Zealand, a land of birds where the only native land mammals are bats, there would have been a greater range of dialects before humans arrived and reduced birds’ habitat, Molles says.

By the beginning of the 20th century, these birds were all but extinct on the New Zealand mainland. However, the transfer of a small population to Kapiti Island, near Wellington, saw them rebound. It ...

The population of New Zealand's treasured kākāpō has now reached 252, the highest number of the endangered birds seen in almost 50 years, the country's Department of Conservation announced Tuesday.