The Australasian crested grebe, known as pūteketeke in New Zealand, has been crowned the Bird of the Century 2023. The bird, which is a threatened species with a population of fewer than 1,000 in New Zealand and less than 3,000 across New Zealand and Australia, won the title following a surge in votes. This surge was largely attributed to the backing of British-American comedian John Oliver, who launched a global campaign in support of the bird on his HBO television show, Last Week Tonight.
Oliver's campaign, which included billboards in various cities, a plane with a banner, and Oliver himself donning a bird costume on 'The Tonight Show', exploited a loophole in the voting rules that allowed anyone with a valid email address to vote. This led to a significant increase in the number of votes, with the pūteketeke claiming about 83% of the total votes. However, the voting process was not without controversy, as thousands of fraudulent votes had to be discarded during the vote counting process.
Despite some backlash against perceived 'American interference' in the contest, the pūteketeke won with over 290,000 votes. The victory was also aided by conservation efforts such as the Lake Wānaka Grebe Project, which has helped the bird's population begin to recover. The Bird of the Century contest, usually named Bird of the Year, is held to raise awareness about the nation's native birds and attracted a record number of votes this year, with over 350,000 ballots cast from nearly 200 countries.