[imagesource: Getty/3headeddog/DJ Harrison]

Aside from matters related to COVID-19, New Zealand is the sort of country that doesn’t feature in international headlines much.

I once recall seeing a story about a woman who had lost her keys on a beach making one of the national broadcaster’s news bulletins.

Also, the soundtrack for the weather report was Calvin Harris’ ‘Feel So Close’.

However, the country’s annual Bird of the Year contest has attracted controversy in recent years.

Last year, the title went to the kākāpō, nicknamed the “mighty moss chicken”. The voting process was marred by some voter fraud, with volunteer scrutineers finding that 1 500 votes cast on the same night were from the same IP address.

All of those votes were in favour of the smallest kiwi species, the pukupuku or little spotted kiwi.

A year earlier, a large number of votes had been cast from Russia, although they were in favour of a bird that frequents both countries so they were allowed to stand.

The 2021 competition now has its own drama to deal with, reports The Guardian:

The election, run by Forest and Bird, allowed a surprise entry this year from the pekapeka-tou-roa, or long tailed bat, one of New Zealand’s only land-based native mammals.

On Tuesday, Forest and Bird officials confirmed to the Guardian that the bat is winning in current polls by a considerable margin.

Image: Shellie Evans

“It’s winning overall, yeah,” said Forest and Bird spokesperson Laura Keown. “Actually, when you look at the number one and number two rankings, it’s not winning by a little. It’s winning by quite a lot.”

A bat is winning the bird of the year competition. Outrage!

I do have some sympathy, in that bats have been much maligned during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There’s also the fact that the bat had been allowed to enter for what can be described as solid reasoning.

Keown said Forest and Bird had granted the bat entry in an effort to raise its profile as critically endangered.

“Native pekapeka are among the most seriously threatened native animals that live in Aotearoa, but many people don’t even know they exist,” she said.

The kākāpō is currently in second, with the kea, a parrot loved by the locals for its intelligence and “fondness for stealing paraphernalia from tourists”.

I have seen this firsthand. They have no shame.

The bat may be helped in the polls by powerful backers: New Zealand’s Ministry of Environment on Tuesday announced it was endorsing the pekapeka campaign.

Voting on bird of the year closes at the end of the month and Keown said there was still time for an upset.

Image: Colin O’Donnell / Department of Conservation

“It’s not a foregone conclusion, anything can happen. But definitely looking at the results, the bat is the frontrunner. It’s streaking ahead.”

You have four days left to vote, and you can find details on how to do so here.

It’s a sign of the times when I’m more inspired to vote for a bird in New Zealand than I am for any of our political parties.

Don’t forget, Monday (November 1) is our election day.

[source:guardian]