Violet Blue
If you're unfamiliar, each Bird of the Year nominee is sponsored by a group. This year, the Tūhura Otago Museum is not holding back.
This photo's tweet reads: "Hoiho, one of the world’s rarest penguins, needs your vote! With only 131 breeding pairs left on mainland NZ, it’s time to act."
Violet Blue
Bird of the Year 2024 propaganda spans the entire country right now.
Just look at this gull inviting interference in a foreign election. The below post did not prepare me for what I saw this week.
Violet Blue
There is a massive battle underway at Victoria University of Wellington. These flyers in one of the main halls are the most low-key.
Violet Blue
I was very confused. Why *this* bird, I wondered?
Then I googled the Hakoakoa and the first image I got back seems to have answered my question -- and explained the next three flyers I found in student common areas.
Violet Blue
Victoria University of Wellington Student Association (VUWSA) are backing the karure for Bird of the Year.
BUT
The student newspaper, Salient, is backing the kororā.
And oh, IT'S ON.
VUWSA: https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/black-robin/
Salient: https://www.salient.org.nz/post/vote-koror%C4%81-for-bird-of-the-year
Violet Blue
And THEN, this happened.
There is a group coming at both VUWSA *and* Salient.
And their choice for Bird of the Year 2024 is the Hakoakoa, or brown skua (also known as the Antarctic skua).
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