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.

No stranger to scandal, the competition this year involved the endorsement by an adult toy store of the polyamorous hihi, or stitchbird, and voter fraud. Volunteer scrutineers found 1,500 votes cast one night were from the same IP address, all for the smallest kiwi species, the kiwi pukupuku or little spotted kiwi.