• Pūteketeke wins NZ poll after campaign by John Oliver.
• The pūteketeke surged to victory due to its unique appearance.
• Oliver’s intervention sparked opposition in New Zealand.

The pūteketeke has claimed the title of New Zealand’s Bird of the Century, thanks to a highly contested poll fueled by US talk show host John Oliver’s controversial involvement.

Oliver’s “alarmingly aggressive” campaign for the vulnerable crested grebe, of which less than 3,000 remain in the wild, caused a global frenzy.

The Bird of the Year contest, running for nearly two decades, witnessed a record-breaking 350,000 votes from almost 200 countries, causing system crashes and a two-day result delay.

The pūteketeke, initially an “outside contender,” surged to victory due to its unique appearance, adorable parenting style, and peculiar behavior, including vomiting, according to Nicola Toki from Forest and Bird, the organization overseeing the competition.

Oliver, the host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, championed the pūteketeke, describing them as “weird puking birds with colorful mullets.” His campaign involved billboards worldwide, a giant pūteketeke costume on a talk show, and the tagline “Lord of the Wings,” a nod to New Zealand’s Lord of the Rings connection.

However, Oliver’s intervention sparked opposition in New Zealand, with concerns over “American interference.” Supporters of the kakariki karaka and Kiwi mounted counter-campaigns.

Despite the controversy, the pūteketeke secured over 290,000 votes, leaving the Kiwi in second place with just 12,904 votes.

Forest and Bird’s Nicola Toki sees it as valuable for drawing global attention to the challenges faced by New Zealand’s native birds, over 80% of which are on the threatened species list while this year’s competition faced unprecedented controversy.

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