- Conservation status
- In some trouble
These cheeky birds need little introduction. But did you know that these colourful characters poop out their body weight in a day? It probably helps that they’re omnivorous, with about 30% of their diet made up of invertebrates and other animals, and the remainder of fruit (and whatever they found in your tramping pack).
Excelling at eating and pooping sure has its plus sides; weka are excellent at dispersing the seeds of native plants in the forest margins. They’re particularly helpful for plants like hīnau, whose fallen fruit is eaten by these sharp-billed mavericks.
Campaign Manager
Acme CupCo
Acme CupCo is an internationally recognised ceramic coffee cup and tableware brand that hails from Wellington, NZ. We’ve been around for 15 years and have always wanted to get involved in the Bird of the Year campaign. This year we’re finally doing it!
Acme is excited to officially support Bird of the Year 2026 as campaign manager for the cheeky and bold weka. The weka may be a controversial choice, but we at Acme love its inquisitive nature and charismatic personality – they’re just like us!
These impressively smart and daring flightless birds can unzip tents with their incredibly strong beaks and will steal anything they fancy – even from right out of your hand. If you can excuse their naughtiness, you’ll discover we really do need the endemic weka to thrive because, as vital seed dispersers and skilled scavengers, they are crucial for New Zealand’s ecosystem.
You either love ’em or hate ’em, but we think these cheeky birds deserve some respect. We love them so much that we named our first coffee cup colour after them.
Please help us spread the love for New Zealand’s most wildly underestimated native bird and vote weka for Bird of the Year 2026!
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