Once down to just 5, the black robin is now New Zealand’s Bird of the Year

In a record-breaking vote, the critically endangered black robin has been named New Zealand's Bird of the Year, with over 105,000 people participating in the annual contest organized by conservation group Forest & Bird. The Chatham Islands native once teetered on the brink of extinction, with only five individuals remaining in 1980, including a single breeding female. Remarkably, the population has now rebounded to approximately 350 birds.

The black robin claimed the top spot, garnering more than 26,000 votes, ahead of the kakapo and kārearea falcon. The annual contest, which began as an email poll in 2005, has evolved into a major event featuring campaign teams, memes, and social media battles. The group advocating for the black robin is now aiming to establish a third habitat to bolster and broaden the species' population.

Despite its name, the black robin is not related to the European robin found in Britain and Europe. Instead, it belongs to the Australasian robin family and is exclusive to the Chatham Islands. The species' striking black plumage contrasts sharply with the brown-and-orange-red appearance of the European robin.

The competition has faced scrutiny in the past, with accusations of Russian interference in 2019 after a surge of votes was traced to IP addresses in Russia. After thorough investigation, organizers concluded that the majority of these votes were from genuine bird enthusiasts and did not impact the victory of the black robin. A similar incident occurred in 2023, where comedian and Last Week Tonight host John Oliver rallied global support for the Australasian crested grebe, leading it to win the title that year.