Black robin triumphs in New Zealand's Bird of the Year poll

The karure black robin was voted Bird of the Year 2026, overtaking the iconic kākāpō, which placed second, while the kārearea came in third and the kea and takahē rounded out the top five. The robin, native to lowland coastal forests of the Chatham Islands, has risen from a brink of extinction with only five birds in the 1980s to an estimated 350 individuals now. Forest and Bird reported a record 98,920 validated votes, 88% of which were cast by voters in Aotearoa New Zealand, marking the highest local participation since the poll began in 2005.

Conservationists note that the birds live on predator-free islands that are nearing capacity, and a third island colony is required for further growth. A project led by the Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust aims to eradicate feral cats from Pitt Island, a major predator of the black robin.