Frequently asked questions

Every year, we get hundreds of emails from people all over the world wanting to learn more about Bird of the Year – Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau. Here are some of the more frequently asked questions.

Q: When is Bird of the Century 2023?

Voting for this year's competition opens at 9am on Monday 30 October and closes 5pm on Sunday 12 November. The winner will be announced on Monday 13 November.

Q: How do I vote?

Click on the “pick me” button on each species. You can do that for up to five native birds. They will appear on a selection list at the bottom of your screen. There you can swap the ranking of the birds or take one (or more) off your vote.

When you’re happy with your selection, click “Submit”.

The next page will ask for your email and name. We need these details to help you verify your vote. As soon you've submitted your vote, you will receive an email with a four-letter code, and a link to your voting verification. Click on the link, enter your four-letter code, and click submit. All done!

The verification email may get caught in your spam filter so please check your Junk or Spam folder. If no verification email comes, email [email protected] to make sure your vote is counted.

Q: Why do you run Bird of the Year/Century?

We hope Te Manu Rongonui o te Rautau helps to raise awareness for our native wildlife, their habitats, and the threats they face. Tragically, many of Aotearoa New Zealand’s native species are in danger of becoming extinct, so they need all the recognition they can get.

Q: What more can I do to protect native birds?

There's so much you can do to protect New Zealand's native wildlife. You could join Forest & Bird – New Zealand’s largest independent conservation organisation, get involved with one of Forest & Bird's local branches as a volunteer and help restore habitat, remove weeds, and control predators in your own local area.

You can be a voice for nature by donating to support the work of Forest & Bird in regional councils, courtrooms, and the halls of Parliament. Forest & Bird’s environmental and legal specialists are in all these places, speaking up for nature.

Q: Why don't you have all 168 of New Zealand's bird species on the list?

We have added some birds this year, including several that have gone extinct in the past 100 years, as part of our centennial, but there would be a long list to navigate if we had all of them there. If you want a bird added to the competition, just send us an email. But be warned, we will definitely expect you to put your hand up as campaign manager for that bird!

Q: Can I campaign for a bird?

We would love you to! We encourage anyone who is passionate about their favourite native bird to campaign throughout the competition. You can find out whether your favourite bird already has a campaign manager by checking to see if a campaign manager is listed on that bird's page or on this spreadsheet. If your bird is available, you can apply to be campaign manager using this form.