How voting works

How voting works

1. Click on a bird to view its profile, campaign information, and a "Vote for me" button.
2. Click "Vote for me" to add that bird to your vote. You can select up to five different birds.

3. Your selected birds will appear at the bottom of the screen. You can add, remove, or swap birds until you're happy with your final selection.

    

To help you choose, you can filter birds by:

• 2026 Bird Party
• Conservation status
• Underbird status

• Past winners (or hide previous champions from the results)

   

You can also sort birds alphabetically (te reo Māori and English) or peck your way through the list from those grouped as most endangered to least endangered (or vice versa).

Short on time? Use the new Quick Vote buttons to vote for your favourites faster.

How votes are counted

Each bird you select receives one vote, regardless of the order you choose them in. In 2026, every vote cast for a bird also counts as a vote for that bird's party.

Submit and verify your vote

Once you've made your selection, click "Submit".

To help prevent voter fraud, you'll then be asked to provide your name and email address. After submitting your vote, you'll receive a verification email containing a "Validate my vote" link. Click the link to confirm your vote.

Haven't received your verification email?

Please check your Spam or Junk folder first.

If the email doesn't arrive, or your validation link has expired, you can request a new verification email here.

If you're still having trouble, email birdoftheyear@forestandbird.org.nz and we'll help ensure your vote is counted.