Mohua crowned Bird of the Year
Photo: Mohua, Craig McKenzie.
The endangered mohua has been crowned Bird of the Year in Forest & Bird’s ninth annual poll. Green-party co-leader and mohua campaigner, Metiria Turei successfully launched this little known bird into the limelight with the catchy catch-cry “vote mohua, not monorail.” Habitat destruction, predation and climate change has reduced the range and population of the mohua. Once abundant in the South Island in the 1800s, the mohua now lives in a few forest patches in Otago and Southland. Forest & Bird’s southern branches have been instrumental in restoring a population around the Catlins.
| November 2013 | |
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Lovely bird 🙂 Pawkiss 🙂
Thank you, licks back to you! 🙂
Interesting – and sad of course. But they are saved, then, for the moment? I didn’t know of its existence, but it looks very beautiful. Astonishing colours.
I am so glad they do this bird of the year. Every year it is really special. I hope they can save or breed more so that they can be freed again in their natural environment