Congratulations to the pekapeka long-tailed bat!

New Zealand only has two land mammals, and they’re both bats. This is the first time our native bat has been included in Bird of the Year, and it has flown away with the title. These flying furballs are threatened by the same problems as our native birds - predators, habitat loss and climate change. The more we do to protect them, the more it helps their feathered friends, and vice versa.

Bird of the Year will return for 2022 on 17 October.

Donate now to help our native wildlife