New Zealand bat flies away with bird of the year award

Wellington: In a controversial move that has ruffled feathers, a native bat has been named as New Zealand’s 2021 Bird of the Year.

Bats are New Zealand’s only native land mammal and this year is the first time the long-tailed bat, pekapeka-tou-roa, was included in the contest. The long-tailed bat is only the size of a thumb.

The bat had swooped in to clinch the title following an online poll.

The two-week contest, organised by Forest & Bird, closed on Sunday with more than 56,733 votes in total, the most it has ever received.

Contest organisers had included the bat, to raise its profile as a critically endangered species.

Meanwhile, environmental group Forest and Bird, which organises the competition every year, said the bat's inclusion was not a bid to restore its image in the wake of the ongoing COVID outbreak.

Spokesperson Laura Keown said in a statement that "a vote for bats is also a vote for predator control, habitat restoration, and climate action to protect our bats and their feathered neighbours!"

The Bird of the Year contest has been seen as a way to raise awareness of New Zealand's biodiversity and species that are under threat.

In apparent defiance of the laws of scientific taxonomy, Forest and Bird had decided to include a land mammal for the first time this year, saying they faced similar challenges as birds.

More than 56,700 people cast their votes, with more than 7,000 for the bat and just over 4,000 for the kakapo, which won the contest last year.