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CultureQuiet 43h · day 4

Black robin crowned New Zealand's Bird of the Year 2026

The critically endangered Chatham Islands species, once down to a single breeding pair, wins after record voter turnout.

newest coverage 1d agosummary written 3d ago25 pieces49k likes & upvotes410 comments MastodonBlueskyGoogle NewsNewswiresX

What to know

  • The karure black robin, native to the Chatham Islands, won New Zealand's Bird of the Year 2026 for the first time after repeatedly placing near the top in prior years.
  • The species fell to five birds and a single breeding pair (Old Blue and Old Yellow) in the 1970s but recovered to about 350 adults through a foster-parenting breeding programme; it remains classed as threatened/critically endangered.
  • The 2026 election drew a record, predominantly domestic turnout (roughly 99,000–105,000 votes, ~88% from New Zealand), the reverse of 2023's overseas-dominated pūteketeke campaign led by John Oliver.
  • Conservationists say the bird is not yet secure: its two pest-free island reserves are nearing capacity, and a third predator-free site (a cat-removal project on Pitt Island is underway) is needed for further population growth.

Rebecca Hatch Forest and Bird spokespersonJess Mackenzie Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust spokespersonForest and Bird Organisation running the Bird of the Year electionJohn OliverJohn Oliver US talk-show host

Black robin crowned New Zealand's Bird of the Year 2026
theguardian.com

How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 5 pieces in one hour at Sep 21, 3 AM; 25 pieces over 5 days (12 articles · 13 posts) Sep 19, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 19, 8 PM — quietSep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 10 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 12 AM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 2 AM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 4 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 6 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 8 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — 4 pieces · 3 articles · 1 post — Google News 2, Bluesky 1, Mastodon 1Sep 20, 9 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — 5 pieces · 4 articles · 1 post — Google News 3, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — X 1Sep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — X 1Sep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 5 PM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Bluesky 1, Mastodon 1Sep 21, 6 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quiet 12–4
Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 7:48 AM ET
  1. 4

    Social users celebrate the win online

    Following the announcement, social media posts circulate praising the black robin, referencing its reputation as the 'goth' of New Zealand's bird world.

    “The epitome of avian cool!”
    — jemmesedi@c.im
    1. 4 outlets Black robin rules roost in New Zealand’s Bird of the Year vote

      first by SCMP, 3d ago · also IFLScience, Indian Express, Independent UK

      3 more headlines

    • New Zealand’s karure, or black robin, has been crowned the country’s 2026 Bird of the Year.

      @CNNX2d ago27k▲view on X ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 7 posts in this stretch
    • libbyspencer.bsky.social

      Once down to a single pair. Conservationists rescued them from oblivion. The flock is now 350 strong. New Zealand’s karure, or black robin, has been crowned the country’s 2026 Bird of the Year.

      libbyspencer.bsky.socialBluesky2d ago2.7k▲view on Bluesky ↗
    • samikelsh@mastodonapp.uk

      Congratulations to the New Zealand Bird of the Year for 2026, the lovely little karure black robin! As someone who loves robins a Very Normal Amount, I could not be more pleased for these absolutely darling little bobbins, who also represent an incredible success in bird population recovery. Congrats, little buddies! # boty2026 # robins # birds #…

      samikelsh@mastodonapp.ukMastodon2d ago47▲view on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  2. 3

    Conservationists warn the species is 'not saved yet'

    Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust spokesperson Jess Mackenzie says the robin's two pest-free reserves are nearly at capacity and a third island is needed for the population to keep growing.

    “They are really cute…”
    — Jess Mackenzie, Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust spokesperson · source
  3. 2

    Guardian and NZ Herald detail the robin's recovery story

    Wider coverage recounts the species' collapse to five birds and one breeding pair (Old Blue and Old Yellow) by the 1970s, and its recovery to 350 adults via a foster-parenting breeding programme; the vote total is reported as roughly 105,000.

  4. 1

    Forest and Bird cites record homegrown turnout

    Forest and Bird's Rebecca Hatch says nearly 99,000 validated votes were cast, 88 percent from within New Zealand, a reversal of the overseas-dominated 2023 pūteketeke race.

    “We've had 98,920 validated votes cast this year ... 88 percent of those have come from right here in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
    — Rebecca Hatch
    • Happyfishmedia@cloudisland.nz

      The diminutive karure black robin has won Bird of the Year. The kākāpō came second, leaving the kārearea in third place. Fourth and fifth place went to the kea and takahē respectively. # BOTY26 https://www. rnz.co.nz/news/environment/148 5423/black-robin-bucks-shy-tag-to-take-bird-of-the-year-2026

      Happyfishmedia@cloudisland.nzMastodon3d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗
  5. background

    Black robin wins Bird of the Year 2026 — Forest and Bird announces the karure black robin has topped the annual election for the first time, with kākāpō second, kārearea third, kea fourth and takahē fifth.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets New Zealanders pick endangered black robin as Bird of the Year

    first by Phys.org, 3d ago · also Euronews

    1 more headline
  2. 2 outlets Black robin bucks shy tag to take Bird of the Year 2026

    first by Mastodon, 2d ago · also RNZ

and 2 smaller pieces

What people are saying 5 voices from 2 sites · best of 9 · verbatim