Status: 16.11.2023, 15:30 PM
By: Sophie Kluß
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The "Pūteketeke" is threatened with extinction. With which qualities he was able to convince the international participants of the voting – and what his tendency to puke has to do with it.
Actually, the winner of the vote for the Bird of the Century by the conservation organization Forest & Bird should have been announced on Monday. However, so many people took part in the international vote that the counting of the votes took longer than expected. This is reported by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung online.
At the New Zealand competition, the bird of the year is chosen annually to "draw attention to the threats to the iconic bird species of the Pacific state," according to the faz. In 2023, however, on the occasion of the NGO's 100th anniversary, the bird of the century was sought – and found.
"Pūteketeke" convinced participants of the vote with various characteristics
In the voting, the "Pūteketeke" came in first place, with a considerable lead over New Zealand's national bird, the flightless kiwi. The reasons for its victory are manifold: The great crested grebe, which is called "Pūteketeke" in the Pacific state, convinces not only with its striking cheek feathers, but also with its extraordinary behavior.
The bizarre courtship behavior of the great crested grebe, for example, is characterized by exuberant head shaking and the so-called penguin pose. The courtship partners paddle so fast with their feet that they rise vertically out of the water. But the animals also impress with a particularly cute quirk when it comes to dealing with their offspring: the young sit on the back of one parent while they are fed by the other part.
The great crested grebe, known as "Pūteketeke" in the Pacific state, has the cute peculiarity of taking its offspring for a walk on its back. © picture alliance/dpa/Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society/AP | Peter Foulds
"Pūteketeke was initially an underdog in the Bird of the Century election, but was catapulted to first place thanks to its unique appearance, endearing parenting style, and propensity to puke," said Nicola Toki, executive director of Forest & Bird, in an organization's press release.
Bird of the century: the "Pūteketeke", a subspecies of the great crested grebe
The "Pūteketeke" grows up to 50 centimetres long and, as a great crested grebe, belongs to the waterfowl. It is native to Australia and New Zealand and its population is classified as endangered. The Ornithological Society of New Zealand estimates that there are fewer than 1000 specimens of them in New Zealand.
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Presenter and comedian John Oliver had promoted the "Pūteketeke"
Another reason why the "Pūteketeke" was able to win was probably the British-American presenter and comedian John Oliver. As a godfather for the bird, he had successfully drummed up publicity and, for example, attracted attention with funny TV appearances.
After the "Pūteketeke" with 290,374 votes, the North Island Brown Kiwi came in second with 12,904 votes, followed by the Kea in third place. This colorful mountain parrot is also considered critically endangered.