Animals: Big Little Bird: New Zealand Bird of the Year – Jigsaw
To draw attention to threats to New Zealand’s iconic bird species, the Pacific nation’s annual Bird of the Year award. This year, the spotlight is falling on rocky soles.
Wellington – The endemic rock slipper has been named New Zealand’s Bird of the Year. The small and rare “Pīwauwau”, as the Maori call them, live only in the alpine regions of the country’s South Island.
Forest and Bird conducts a popularity survey each year to raise awareness of threats to iconic Pacific bird species.
The rock-slipper (Xenicus gilviventris) from the family of tail-tailed is only about ten centimeters long. The male has green-yellow plumage, the female is olive green. Remarkable are the long legs and muscular-like feet, with which the bird clings to rocks and snow with its long claws. In New Zealand it is called “Rock Wren” or “South Island Wren”. It does not fly well and mostly jumps between rocks.
Threatened by pests and climate change
“Seeing the pīwauwau in the Southern Alps is well worth the trip,” said Stephen Day, who directed the campaign for the birds. “They are small birds but full of personality, and like many other species, they are threatened by pests and climate change.”
The vote for rocky slippers was a vote for climate protection, according to “Forest and Bird.” The birds, which weigh just 20 grams, are feeling the effects of global warming because predators such as rats and stoats are now able to climb higher and invade their habitat.
A baby penguin (named Korora in New Zealand) came in second place this year. The mountain parrot (kea) took third place.
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