The Bird of the Year competition is currently underway, and Matai 3 has some ideas about which birds deserve your vote!

You must vote kōkako because they are endangered. They have a good song and are special.

By Edward

Please vote for tūī because they have a white tuft. Also I like them because their beak is long so that they can reach the kowhai nectar.

By Noah

You should have your vote for kingfisher because I saw a picture of one and it was cute. The colours are blue, yellow, and grey. You have to vote kingfisher.

By Ronan

You have to vote for a fantail because they are endangered a lot. They have a fan for a tail.

By Riley

Kōkako is very cute. You must vote for them because their legs are really strong to catch fish for food. Their sound is very cute. They’re also little and they have a distinctive black face too. North kōkako has a blue wattle whereas the South kōkako are orange. They have short rounded wings and are poor fliers. Preferring to hop from branch to branch as they have long, strong legs.

By Luke

Little blue penguin needs your help because they are endangered. Please keep your dog away from the little blue penguin! Little blue penguin are powerful because they can resist cold and can tell the time. Help penguins all together! Plant a tree! Or two! They don’t get as much respect as they should. Donate to penguin shelters!

By Brian

I love ruru because of the sound.

By Hayley

Please can you vote for a pīwakawaka because they are small, cute, and furry. They have a fan-like tail with patterns and they can fly. They even can hop upside down to get bugs from the underside of leaves. I’ve even seen them a few times!

By Eleanor

You should vote for fantail because they are very cute so please can you vote for fantail because they are small. They are soft.

By Qi Xin

Hi, I’m Charlotte Frame and I am going to tell you why you should vote for whio (blue duck). I’ll start with endangeredness. Who are very endangered. If we don’t vote for them, they will become even closer to extinction so please vote for him. Now - onto ability. They are flightless but still very independent. And a bonus, who is on the ten dollar note because he’s so endangered.

By Charlotte

Can you please vote for kiwi. Please.

By Emma

Vote kārearea because they are very endangered. And because they have not very many left. And they are on the 20 dollar note. And they are only hunting animals because they have to and because they can fly at speeds of up to 100km/h. Very cool.

By Coen

You should vote this parrot/kea because there is not much left in the world now. You have to vote for this kea because it is cute and adorable. They are endangered. We have to support them.

By Mia

Hi, I’m Whio and we are very endangered so please help us because we have special abilities. We can put our heads under water and we are on the 10 dollar note.

Henry

You should vote for the kārearea because it has the best eyesight. And they are fast when they dive/stop. You have to vote kārearea!!!!

By Asher

You have to vote for kārearea because they are very cool and endangered. They may be a tiny bit scary but guess what they can eat things that are bigger than them! It’s cool right? Also they can fly 100km/h. They can carry the prey very far (that’s bigger than them)! I really like them. I hope you vote kārearea. I really do. Anyway, they are very cool. Vote for kārearea! I hope you do!

By Spencer

You must vote kākāpō because they are very endangered by stoats, rats, possums, cats, dogs. All of those animals eat kākāpō. They don’t use their wings but they are very good at climbing trees. They are camouflage and so so so so cute.

By Aasha

You must please vote white kiwi or bad things will happen to you!

By Finn

The takahē was thought to be extinct after 10 between 20 years. It is endangered because they are used to make bone tools. Please vote for pūkeko. You have to vote for pūkeko.

By Novak

Vote for tui. They are grey and I like how they fly.

By Ryan

You should vote little blue penguin because they are cute and also because they are blue and white.

By Leo

You should vote for ruru because they are so cute! And they are so small and and adorable. The ruru is New Zealand’s only native owl. It is a small owl with speck brown feathers, a dark face, yellow eyes, and a short tail.

By Olivia

I think you should vote for yellow head because it will get bigger!

By Ethan

I think that you should vote for kākāpō because they’re cute and you don’t see them as they blend in with their environment. Kākāpō are the heaviest parrots in the world. They store food as body fat.

By Hayley E

I think you should vote for kiwis because they are good.

By Elsie

Yellowhead is so, so, so, so, so cute and I hope you vote for Yellowhead.

By Luka

I think you should vote falcon because they’re fast.

By Xyza

I think you should vote for the kiwi because we are kiwi!! Because they are so, so, so, so cute!

By Hazel

I think you should vote for the yellowhead because it has a yellow head and it is cute.

By Indie

I think you should vote for the kākāpō because they are coming to extinction. The South kākāpō is extinct and the North kākāpō is endangered. The kākāpō is one of the species of the New Zealand wattlebird. The North kākāpō has a blue wattle and the south has an orange. The North kākāpō is on the $50 dollar note. kākāpō have short rounded wings and are poor flowers, so mostly hop from branch to branch. That is why you should vote as Bird of the Year!!

By Ashling

My favourite is hawk because he has sharp claws and is the name of my favourite fish.

By Nate

I think you should vote for kea because they are very funny.

By RJ

I think you should vote for Yellowhead because they are so, so, so, so cute and because they are the colour of the sun.

By Ayesha

I think you should vote for the Yellowhead. Yellowhead are yellow headed with black and yellow body and they sing.

By Blake

I think you should vote for kākāpō because it is cute and it is in danger. Please help it.

By Lucy

I think you should vote for the kiwi because they are endangered. Please help protect all the kiwi.

By Esme

I think you should vote kiwi because they are the most native bird in NZ and they are mythical.

By Grayson

I think you should vote for Yellow Head because it gets big when it grows up.

By Jackson

I think you should vote for NZ falcon because they can fly 100km an hour and can carry prey bigger than itself.

By Vincent and Mark

The New Zealand Bird Votes!! I think you should vote for native kiwi because it can camouflage in some places and it can sleep in the morning. They live in forest floors.

By Olive

I think you should vote for Yellowhead because it is a strong little bird and it’s cute because it’s funny.

By Johnny and Oskar