Pūteketeke

Quick, what do Mumbai, Tokyo, Champ-Elysees, Paris, Ipanema Beach, Brazil, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin^* all have in common?

The answer is they all have identical billboards urging people to VOTE… for New Zealand’s Bird of the Century. The contest began in 2005 and has been chirping along ever since. Coordinated by the Royal Forest and Bird Society, its purpose is to support threatened fauna.

When comedian John Oliver heard of the contest, he contacted the sponsors to see if he could campaign for one of the over 70 birds on the ballot. His eye was on the Pūteketeke, also known as the Australasian Crested Grebe.

The sponsors said, “Go for it!.” John does admit they probably had no idea what was about to be let fly. When asked about his motives by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Oliver quipped, “American money undermining a foreign election, what is more to be proud about than that?”

There is no need to think Oliver has rigged the election any more than the New Zealanders have been doing for years. Foul play and voter fraud are widespread as voters are passionate about their choices. Several years ago, two teenagers hacked into the voting system to promote their favorite candidate, and other tomfoolery is common.

When asked why he chose this particular bird, Oliver described it as magnificent and charming. He also mentioned the birds’ unusual mating dance. They dive underwater, grab a bunch of grass, pop up to the surface and chest bump each other. Then they go to the shore and “try to figure out what to do next.”

The voting ended on November 12, and we are eagerly awaiting the results which have been delayed because of a “massive influx of votes.” Whatever the outcome, John Oliver has made the world a happier place with his zany humor.

^*Manitowoc was the only American city to get a billboard. Lucky us.

NEWS FLASH! The results have just come in. The Pūteketeke is New Zealand’s Bird of the Century. Over 350,000 people from 195 countries voted for the Pūteketeke which got 290,374 votes, about 83% of the vote. Second place went to the North Island Brown Kiwi, which received 12,904 votes. And there were shenanigans. One person was disqualified for casting 40,000 votes for the Eastern Rockhopper Penguin.

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