Previous winners

The pekapeka tou roa long-tailed bat was crowned Bird of the Year for 2021

New Zealand only has two land mammals, and they’re both bats. 2021 was the first time our native bat has been included in Bird of the Year, and it flew 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 we help their feathered friends.