Controversy has already struck amid Forest and Bird New Zealand's decision to exclude two-time winner the kākāpō from this year's rundown. "We know how much people love kākāpō and I'm a real kākāpō fan, but ultimately the competition is about raising awareness," Forest and Bird spokesperson Ellen Rykers tells the Front Page podcast. "We want to keep things fresh and interesting and really share the love for birds, some of which are overlooked and under-appreciated. We actually used a loophole of Manu, the Māori word for bird, which generally means winged creature. This is part of the reason why Forest and Bird continues to push the Bird of the Year competition so hard every time it rolls around.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 17, 2022 03:14 UTC