Bird of the Year Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau 2025
15 September 2025 - 28 September 2025
Region(s): Nationwide
Type(s): competitions, national Events
This year Bird of the Year is celebrating 20 years of campaigning. Which New Zealand native birds will capture your votes this year?
Each year, the competition shines a spotlight on birds in trouble. Some species, like the kakī black stilt, have soared from obscurity to national fame. Others, like the kākāpō, have used their Bird of the Year wins to rally support for urgent recovery programmes.
Takahē – for Bird of the Year!
Vote takahē (aka the enigmatic, ENORMOUS, rainbow chicken!). Join Team Takahē now and let's get this iconic species crowned Bird of the Year.
“Bird of the Year has always been more than a popularity contest. It connects people to our precious wildlife and inspires action – from backyard trapping to conservation careers.”
With 80% of New Zealand’s native birds in trouble, Forest & Bird is using this anniversary to remind voters: your vote counts. Not just in the ballot box, but in the bush, in communities and at the decision-making table.
Team Takahē
These ENORMOUS, rainbow chickens deserve the crown, they even came back from the dead for it!
Find out more about takahē – we have tons of resources!
#votetakahē #takahē #birdoftheyear2025 #nzbirdoftheyear #boty2025
Bird of the Year Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau 2025 – Dates
Voting opens: 9am Monday 15 September
Voting closes: 5pm Sunday 28 September
Winner announced Monday 29 September
Think your favourite bird deserves the crown? Sign up to be a campaign manager: forestandbird.org.nz/applyboty2025.
Go to the Bird of the Year website www.birdoftheyear.org.nz to register your votes.
Previous Science Learning Hub campaigns
The Science Learning Hub are big supporters of Bird of the Year – see our campaign videos for the huia, ruru, takahē and the toroa/northern royal albatross.
Related content
In 2021 there was lots of controversy when the pekapeka won, but which bird will get your vote in 2025? Will it be the takahē, kiwi, kākā, kererū, godwit, kea, albatross, ruru, huia or one of New Zealand's native ducks?
In 2023 Forest & Bird included 5 extinct species in the competition, read why this was important in Call of the huia: how NZ’s bird of the century contest helps us express ‘ecological grief’. That year contest gained lots of international attention, explore this further in Pūteketeke – it’s OK to laugh at Bird of the Century.
We have re-purposed the popular Building Science Concepts Book 3: Birds: Structure, Function, and Adaptation with an article and interactive linking this great resource with Hub content.
The Science Learning Hub also has a flock of resources under our Birds topic, you could start with the article Conserving native birds – introduction.
Useful link
Bird of the Year: Twenty years of ruffled feathers – A celebration of the birds of Aotearoa by Ellen Rykers is published by Penguin Random House New Zealand and will be available for purchase from bookstores in late August. Royalties from the sale of each book will go to Forest & Bird to support its mahi.
See all events