Overview
- Forest & Bird tallied 75,439 verified votes from 123 countries, and the falcon secured 21% of the total.
- Officials estimate only 5,000–8,000 kārearea remain in New Zealand, with threats from introduced predators, habitat loss and electrocution.
- Forest & Bird emphasizes a serious conservation message, noting that 80% of this year’s top 10 species are threatened.
- All 73 entrants had volunteer campaign managers, driving energetic outreach in a largely scandal‑free milestone edition.
- The kea finished second and the karure (Chatham Island black robin) third, and the falcon becomes a rare two‑time winner after its 2012 title.