Habitat Tours’ votes for Bird of the Year

Habitat Tours’ votes for Bird of the Year
 
The competition for New Zealand’s prestigious Bird of the Year award is heating up!
 
Each year, this debate sparks interest from people all over the world – including a recent mention on Twitter from Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Concords fame!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For people who ask what New Zealand is like: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BirdOfTheYear?src=hash">#BirdOfTheYear</a> is trending at number one right now. <a href="https://t.co/modnG0gL75">https://t.co/modnG0gL75</a></p>&mdash; Jemaine Clement (@AJemaineClement) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJemaineClement/status/787848502143389696">October 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The fantail, Kea, and Kokako are currently the frontrunners, but all that can change by the time the competition ends.  
 
Here are our picks, and why we’re voting for them this year.
 
Tristan – Owner, tour guide
 
Tristan’s vote this year is for the Takahe for its awesome personality and lovely colours. It’s such a New Zealand icon, he says, and has made an incredible comeback after being so close to extinction.
 
“It’s one of my favourite birds for spotting when on tour at Tawharanui,” explains Tristan.
 
Pamela – Chef, admin, Pam of all trades
 
Pam has also chosen to vote for the gorgeous Takahe. This species was once thought extinct, but are now back from the brink.  Pam enjoys being part of the monitoring program to keep an eye on their progress with 14 of these beautiful birds at Tawharanui.
 
“It’s always a thrill to see these birds when we visit Tawharanui, not only are they endangered but very stunning looking birds, too,” she says.
 
Harry – Guide, avid birder
 
Harry has recently reached a massive milestone of spotting 2,000 birds. It should come as no surprise then, that the Blue Duck – his 2,000th species – is his pick this year. Harry failed to see one even when he visited the Queenstown Zoo, so it was a very special occasion when he finally added it to his list.
 
“It’s such an unusual yet stunning bird, and one I won’t ever forget,” he says.
 
Hayley – Content wizard
Bird of the Year: Kea
 
Hayley’s pick is one of the fan favourites – the Kea. This cheeky bird is the only Alpine parrot in the world, and are both extremely intelligent and absolutely stunning.
 
“These birds are always a highlight on any ski trip. I love watching their antics at the end of a long day and will always end up giggling as they try every trick in the book to get their claws on food scraps and treasures,” she explains.
 
 Be sure to get your vote in before the competition closes at 5pm on October 30!