Frequently asked questions
Every year, we get hundreds of emails from people all over the world wanting to learn more about Bird of the Year – Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau. Here are some of the more frequently asked questions.
Q: When is Bird of the Year 2026?
Voting for this year's competition opens at 9am on Friday 4 September and closes 5pm on Sunday 20 September. The winner will be announced on Monday 21 September.
Q: How do I vote?
Q. What's this party thing?
This year, we're leaning right into election year. As well as being individual candidates for the title for Bird of the Year, each bird has been grouped into a party. Check out the party manu-festos here!
You can see which party a bird is in by looking at the coloured tab on the voting page, or when you click for more, the coloured circle on the corner of their photo.
In 2026 we'll be crowing Bird of the Year and also discovering which flock takes top perch!
Pick your party, pick your bird/s!
Q: Do you have Bird of the Year promo material I can share?
Yes! This year we have posters, social media tiles, and email banners you can download and share. There are a range of designs and file formats available. Take a look here.
Q: Why do you run Bird of the Year?
We hope Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau helps to raise awareness for our native wildlife, their habitats, and the threats they face. Tragically, many of Aotearoa New Zealand’s native species are in danger of becoming extinct, 8 out of every 10 in fact, so they need all the recognition they can get.
Q: What more can I do to protect native birds?
There's so much you can do to protect New Zealand's native wildlife. You could join Forest & Bird – New Zealand’s largest independent conservation organisation, get involved as a volunteer with one of Forest & Bird's local branches, or a staffed conservation programme, and help restore habitat, remove weeds, and control predators, or advocate for birds and their homes in your own local area.
You can be a voice for nature by donating to support the work of Forest & Bird in regional councils, courtrooms, and the halls of Parliament. Forest & Bird’s environmental and legal specialists are in all these places, speaking up for nature.
Q: Why don't you have all of New Zealand's bird species on the list?
We already have over 70 species in the competition, if we added all the bird species in New Zealand, it would be a very long list to navigate and most would not have campaign managers. However we are pretty flexible, so if you want a bird considered for the competition, just send us an email. But be warned, we will definitely expect you to put your hand up as campaign manager for that bird!
Q: Can I campaign for a bird?
We would love you to! We encourage anyone who is passionate about their favourite native bird to campaign throughout the competition. You can find out whether your favourite bird already has a campaign manager by checking to see if a campaign manager is listed on that bird's page or on this spreadsheet. If your bird is available, you can apply to be campaign manager using this form.