"Pūteketeke" named bird of the century in New Zealand
A bird with bright cheek feathers and curious courtship behavior has been named bird of the century in New Zealand. The great crested grebe, known as the "pūteketeke" in the Pacific nation, won the global competition by a huge margin, as the nature conservation organization Forest and Bird announced on Wednesday. The winner should have been announced on Monday, but so many people from all over the world took part in the vote that the counting of the votes was delayed.
Forest and Bird conducts the popular vote every year to raise awareness of the threats to the Pacific nation's iconic bird species. This year, however, the search was not for the "Bird of the Year" but for the "Bird of the Century" to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary.
The great crested grebe triumphed over the second-placed kiwi, the country's flightless national bird. In third place was the kea, an endangered mountain parrot.
Comedian John Oliver performed in a grebe costume
One of the reasons for the "pūteketeke" enthusiasm: the British-American presenter and comedian John Oliver was the bird's sponsor. His campaign included large billboards in Paris and Tokyo, for example, as well as an appearance on the "Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" in a crested grebe costume.
The great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), which can grow up to 50 centimetres long, is a water bird found in many parts of the world. There are three subspecies, including the now endangered Australasian crested grebe, which is native to Australia and New Zealand. The Ministry of the Environment estimates the population in New Zealand at less than 1000 individuals.
Young sit on their parents' backs while feeding
The spectacular courtship behavior of the animals includes, among other things, vigorous head shaking, in which the partners spread their feather caps and stretch their necks into the air. The animals also impress with the so-called penguin pose, in which they rise vertically out of the water by quickly paddling their feet in front of each other.
When the young are born, they usually sit on the back of one parent while the other offers them food with its beak. "Pūteketeke" entered the competition as an outsider, but won people's hearts "thanks to his unique appearance and charming parenting style", said Nicola Toki, managing director of Forest and Bird.
Animals like the great crested grebe, known as "pūteketeke," demonstrate fascinating behaviors during courtship, such as head shaking and the penguin pose. These unique traits contributed to the bird's popularity in the "Bird of the Century" competition.
The great crest grebe is not just an interesting animal, but also a symbol of conservation efforts in New Zealand, with organizations like Forest and Bird working to protect its endangered populations.
Source: www.dpa.com
