The hoiho yellow-eyed penguin has overtaken the karure Chatham Island robin, waddling into first place in Bird of the Year 2024.

But with four full days of campaigning left, a second win for the 2019 champ is not a foregone conclusion.

Just a few hundred votes separated the feisty-flippered penguin from second-place black robin, with kākāpō a feather’s breadth behind.

An initial voting snapshot, captured last Friday, had the goth featherball robin, called karure in ta rē Moriori, occupying pole position.

In the latest snapshot, the rankings have shuffled as the birds jostle to become Aotearoa New Zealand’s next top manu.

Top five

As of Wednesday 11 September (votes in brackets)

Hoiho yellow-eyed penguin (4,006)

Karure black robin (3,481)

Kākāpō (3,432)

Kea (3,156)

Ruru morepork (2,960)

Can karure make a comeback?

If the karure can regain first place, it will be the species’ second-most impressive comeback.

Found only on Rēkohu the Chatham Islands, the black robin once teetered on the brink of extinction with just five birds remaining in 1980.

Heroic conservation efforts and the iconic matriarch Old Blue saved the species, with the population around 300 today.

While 300 is much better than five, Chatham Island robins are still in serious conservation trouble, classified as ‘nationally critical’.

The karure campaign, led by Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA), is “absolutely stoked” that their little bird has inspired so much support, says representative Emily Bull.

“We love karure with all our hearts, so much so that VUWSA president Marcail Parkinson has just got a karure tattoo! I’ll also be getting one if karure wins,” says Bull.

“Thank you everyone for your support so far, and remember, the competition isn’t over yet!”

'Noise shouter’ calls for support

The karure team faces fierce competition from a high-powered campaign for the hoiho (which means ‘noise shouter’ in te reo Māori).

"We’re over the moon that the Dunedin community has shown up to back our hoiho, who live right alongside us around the Otago coastline,” says campaign manager Charlie Buchan.

The campaign has mobilised an impressive line-up of local companies, organisations, sports teams, celebrities and political leaders, who have thrown their support behind the ‘nationally endangered’ species.

With just 131 breeding pairs on the mainland, Ōtepoti Dunedin is at risk of losing its iconic penguin, which fittingly already sports a golden crown.

"We urge hoiho supporters to keep up the momentum,” says Buchan.

Every vote counts

Voting for Bird of the Year 2024 closes at 5pm on Sunday 15 September.

Voters can include up to five birds in their selection, which must be submitted via the Bird of the Year website.

Votes must also be verified using an email code, which helps to prevent voter fraud.

The winner will be announced on Monday 16 September.

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