The World's Fattest Parrot, Kākāpō, Named New Zealand's Bird Of The Year For 2020

‘Mighty moss chicken’ brought back from brink of extinction is the first two-time winner. With an owl-like face, pot belly and duck-waddling gait, the kākāpō is one of the most distinctive birds roaming the Earth. The feathery creature has now been named New Zealand’s Bird of the Year for an unprecedented second time.

Another endangered bird, the antipodean albatross, which is often caught in fishing nets, won most first-choice votes out of the more than 55,000 votes cast but under the competition's preferential system the kākāpō came through. Organisers said they hoped the antipodean albatross did not feel robbed. The competition has boosted environmental awareness, organisers said, compared with 15 years ago when bird of the year started "It is definitely part of a shift in thinking about the needs of New Zealand's unique environment and native species." It has also introduced the public to some weird and wonderful characters. The world's most famous k ākāpō is Sirocco, who reputedly thinks he is human after a respiratory illness meant he became the first male to be hand reared.