Vote for the Kaka
September 29th, 2009 at 11:00 am by David FarrarThe Royal Forest and Bird Society is having a poll for Native Bird of the Year, and various people (including me) are campaign managers.
You can vote in the poll here.
I have blogged for Forest & Bird on why people should vote for the Kaka:
The Kaka should be the Native Bird of the Year. The kaka was named after the sounds it makes as an alarm. It is our native mountain parrot and is the best New Zealand traditions is a loud, noisy and dexterous bird.
As most New Zealanders are, the Kaka is a gregarious and social bird. They like to hang out in groups, and will even rail around a wounded comrade – often putting themselves at great risk.
Long before the first bungy jump was constructed at Skippers Canyon, the Kaka had its own version. You’ll see them slowly ascend and then suddenly close their wings and plummet downwards, pulling up just in time.
Kaka also make great parents. You’ll never see a Kaka investigated by CYFS.
They have sadly often been found dead at the entrance of their nesting hole after a forest fire. They refuse to abandon their offspring.So for their noisiness, their supporting wounded colleagues, their bungy jumping and their willingness to die for their kids, I say make the Kaka the New Zealand Native Bird of the Year.”
So as Mayor Daley said, vote early and vote often 
Voting closes on 14 October.
Tags: Forest & Bird
September 29th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Was that Mayor Daley? I always thought it was the Labour Party.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 11:17 am
If you’d ever heard a Kokako duet at first light, you would always and only vote for it. Its just stunning
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Never Overlook the Bell bird. Those lungs vibrating when at full song. A sight to behold.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Our tui give us much entertainment
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 11:30 am
I vote for the Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae, especially when baked.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 11:32 am
My second choice is the Ruru (the morepork). We have them in the Hutt Valley now. At night you hear them calling all over the place. Brilliant.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Done! voted for the Kaka (although more inclined towards the Kea)
I had no idea the Gannet was indigenous to New Zealand; gosh, I learn something everyday! ha ha!
http://www.nightcitytrader.blogspot.com
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Our birds are awesome and weird.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Sorry DPF, I saw Sirocco at the Auckland Zoo last week (a very unique experience), so had to go with the Kakapo. Fantastic promotion by Forest & Board though – we are lucky to have so many unique and unusual birds in New Zealand, and they can perhaps go a little under-appreciated by the general populace. Could easily have voted for almost any of them… agree with Xavier about the magnificence of the Kokako song too…
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I voted for Morepork. Saw my first one two weeks ago cycling at night along the Hutt river. It swooped down and landed on a nearbye fence. I stopped too (shocked to see a bird flying at night, wasn’t he meant to be in bed??) and looked at him (assuming it was a boy) while he looked back at me for a good 3 minutes (until I rode off, one can look at birds for only so long).
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Aah gannets-
Gannet / Takapu Photo
http://chthoniid.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p820401717-4.jpg
The trick is to try to photograph them heading upwind. It slows them right down.
Crikey- is there a bird F&B haven’t left out!
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
@Chthoniid… I really love to see your photos, they often brighten my mood, you should put out a book of some sort, make a great coffee table book.
Keep em coming, friday is not often enough.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Rifleman is winning! Go the 8cm giant!
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Love the kaka – seeing them fly around the Wellington Botanic Gardens is quite amazing. Have also had ruru outside our window in inner Wellington.
(DPF – the kaka is the forest parrot not mountain parrot. That of course is the kea.)
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
@Lofty
thanks for those kind comments. Fwiw, it does look like sciblogs (www.sciblogs.co.nz) will takeoff soon, and I will be a regular contributer (with photos) there.
I think a photobook will be a year or two off from being produced- they’re not the cheapest thing to put together and print runs are typically short. I’m quite happy however, to sell individual prints at this stage- I’ve got a few of these things done for myself and there is something quite special about a good photo done on art-paper or canvas. Computer screens don’t really create the same aesthetic.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
What planet are you people on?
TAKAHE. TAKAHE. TAKAHE.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Rifleman is winning! Go the 8cm giant!
A small cute bird called something badarse like ‘rifleman’ can’t possibly lose!
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
David – I can see why you favour the kaka.
It has a bent bill.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I voted for the Kingfisher. Beautiful blue plumage, cheeky grin, and they’re increasingly abundant on Miramar peninsular thanks to the eradication of possums here. Yay!
Oh, and what other bird has a good beer named after it
[No, Tui doesn't count!]
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I remember the Shags on the Stewart Island beaches. The mating ritual with the wings at full spread. Priceless.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
“Oh, and what other bird has a good beer named after it”
Was going to mention Swan Lager, but realised you put the word “good” in your sentence.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
“..# village idiot (389) Vote: Add rating 0 Subtract rating 1 Says:
September 29th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
David – I can see why you favour the kaka.
It has a bent bill..”
(that’s very funny..v.i…)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
i thought it said ‘vote for kafka’..
(and had a (quickly-dismissed) thought..
‘is the right/national/the hollow-men..’coming clean’..?..or something..?
wha’happened..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Glad to see no one has voted for the pukeko.
Vote:Whenever I see that bank ad where they stalk into the house I instinctively look for my gun.
They are the most vicious murderous birds I know. They don’t come near my wetland for most of the year and as soon as a duck has some ducklings they suddenly appear and wipe them out en masse. There is nothing quite like seeing a pukeko fly overhead with a tiny golden duckling in its beak which it then drops to the ground. Or of course they just spear them in the water.
Australian of course. Shot one yesterday. Good riddance.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Although I didn’t vote for the Albatross, I recall when kayaking around Stewart Island that Albatross would see you from several hundred metres away, would change course toward you, and would buzz you several times out of curiosity – that (approx) 8 foot wing-span is impressive as they skim waves at close quarters. One of God’s beautiful, majestic creatures.
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Owen McShane 5:42 pm,
Owen, I presume you’re still talking about Pukeko?
Vote:September 29th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Yes.
Vote:But I am Jung and easily Freudened.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Owen,
I’m not so young, and the buggers still frighten me. (Australians that is, not Pukeko)
(Great phrase by the way, haven’t heard it before)
Vote:October 2nd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Sorry mate, had to go for the kakapo. And you would too, had you come face to face with one in the past fortnight. Kea ran a close second, but I’m always worried about what they’ll do if they don’t get their own way!
Vote:October 5th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
FYI, I have been investigated by CYFS. So F**k you very much for the CYFS “joke”.
(You can do everything right and still be “investigated” by CYFS. They are an army of childless, clueless 20-year-old girls with social work degrees, and about as much use as the proverbial tits on a bull. Fortunately they get the Police to do the real investigating for them, and the Police unlike CYFS are capable of asking questions and determining wheat from chaff. But if you ever find yourself being interviewed by the child abuse squad because of something meaningless that your child said at school, give me a call and I’ll come and laugh in your face. It’s a great “joke”.)
Oh, and the Kea FTMFW
Vote: