“Pūteketeke” is a bird of the century – Jigsaw

New Zealanders have a heart for exotic birds. Their national pride, the smelly, half-blind, flightless kiwi, was relegated to second place in the Bird of the Century vote by an exotic bird called the Pūteketeke. Visually, this waterfowl with a brush hairstyle could be a cross between something and a penguin. Especially since he has mastered the courtship technique and can rise vertically out of the water by paddling with his feet quickly. He also impresses by shaking his head violently, spreading his cheek feathers like a Victorian collar, and extending his neck. Overall, great courtship behavior.

But the Pūteketeke owes its title as bird of the century above all to one person: British-American presenter John Oliver. In his enthusiasm for strangers, he went all out and launched an international campaign. Similar to the garden gnome from the movie “The Wonderful World of Amélie,” who sends postcards to himself from all over the world, the great crested crow has now appeared in the most remote of places: in Wellington, New Zealand, he is introduced as the “Lord of Wings.” In London, trucks drove Pūteketeke with royal slogans (“Help us crown a real king!”). On billboards in Paris (“Votez Pūteketeke!”) he wore a red hat. The exotic bird was promoted in Mumbai and Tokyo.

But the comedian – and by extension Pūteketeke – won the hearts of voters with his appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show. Oliver showed up there in a very convincing bird costume and generated so much wind with his wings that moderator Fallon compared the power of the campaign to the US election.

good idea. A Republican presidential candidate dressed as a hoopoe — that would be something.

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