US talk show host John Oliver swoops in to swing NZ’s Bird of the Century ‘election’

The results of an annual poll to elect New Zealand’s favourite bird have been delayed after organisers received an overwhelming number of votes following a campaign by American late night show host John Oliver.

The Australasian crested grebe, known by its Maori name puteketeke, is likely to be a forerunner after the host of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver threw his weight behind it.

Stakes for the Bird of the Year competition, which seeks to raise awareness of the country’s many native species that are considered endangered, are higher in 2023 as the winner will be dubbed Bird of the Century to commemorate the organiser’s centenary.

The puteketeke’s conservation status is described as “in serious trouble” on the Bird of the Year’s website, which lists it as a waterfowl that carries its young on the back and forages in mountain lakes.

Mr Oliver launched his campaign for the puteketeke during an episode on Nov 5, and unveiled billboards in New Zealand, India, the United States, Japan, France and Britain that dubbed the bird the “Lord of the Wings”, referencing the Lord Of The Rings trilogy that was filmed in New Zealand.

According to the BBC, votes for the competition poured in following the episode’s airing, with at least 50,000 votes received in the following 24 hours.

The winner was due to be announced on Nov 13, but overwhelmed organisers said that the results would be released on Nov 15 instead.

New Zealand conservationist and the competition’s head Ms Nicola Toki said: “Last year, the total votes for Bird of the Year was just under 52,000,” who added that Mr Oliver’s involvement was not a surprise, as his team had been in touch earlier in the year.

The competition’s rules do not restrict those campaigning to residents of New Zealand, which opened the way for Mr Oliver’s self-described “alarmingly aggressive” campaign.

Dressed as a bird when he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he said his team asked the organisers if it was okay that they were campaign managers for a bird.

“They said, ‘Yes, go for it.’ And I don’t think they understood quite what they were unleashing,” Mr Oliver said.

There are just a thousand of the “charming” puteketeke left in New Zealand, he noted, calling the bird “a fine candidate for Bird of the Century”.

“This is what democracy is all about – America interfering in foreign elections,” quipped the British-born comedian, who is a United States citizen, on his Last Night show.

This is the third year running that the competition has ruffled feathers.

In 2022, the kakapo – the world’s fattest parrot – was banned from competing, having won twice in the past. And in 2021, a bat took the top spot.

Voting for the Bird of the Century closes on Sunday at 5pm local time (12pm Singapore time).