The kārearea New Zealand falcon has taken the title of Aotearoa’s 2025 Bird of the Year.
Marking 20 years of Bird of the Year, the competition saw record engagement, featuring 73 native bird species each supported by their own volunteer campaign managers, and over 75,000 voters.
Whilst a mighty high-speed hunter that’s capable of reaching 200kmh in a dive, the kārearea has a conservation status of ‘in serious trouble’ and is at risk from habitat loss and predation.
Campaign manager of the kārearea Caitlin Pieta said it’s “been a privilege to champion such a remarkable manu [bird]”.
“We’ve loved seeing the public get behind it.”
The annual competition has been known by the public for its humour and creativity, but Forest & Bird said the event’s “bigger picture is conservation.”
“Behind the memes and the mayhem is a serious message. This year’s top 10 manu matches the statistics exactly - 80% of them are in trouble. Two (kākāpō and karure black robin) are nationally critical, each with fewer than 300 individuals remaining,” said chief executive Nicola Toki.
It’s not the first win for the kārearea, who was also crowned back in 2012. It now joins an “elite class of champions” who have secured more than one title throughout the years, with the hoiho winning in 2019 and 2024, and the kākāpō in 2008 and 2020.
With the 20th anniversary making for an extra special contest, songwriter Troy Kingi will compose a piece for the kārearea as the first track of ‘Waiata Manu’, a new initiative crafting original waiata for Bird of the Year winners.
See below for the top 10 placings:
1. Kārearea New Zealand falcon (14,317)
2. Kea (12,506)
3. Karure black robin (11,726)
4. Kākāpō (10,792)
5. Ruru morepork (10,174)
6. Tawaki pika toka eastern rockhopper penguin (10,030)
7. Pīwakawaka fantail (9,915)
8. Takahē (9,828)
9. Hihi stitchbird (8,885)
10. Hoiho yellow-eyed penguin (8,665)
