"I think I’m going to be fired" - Bird of the Year spokesperson

November 1, 2021 2:32 AM

New Zealand's Bird of the Year contest (previously) has always been a source of drama. 2019 before last saw claims of Russian election-meddling in the results; 2018's winner - the kererū pigeon - routinely turn up drunk. But nothing could have prepared us for the controversy of this year's announcement that New Zealand Bird of the Year 2021 is... the long-tailed bat.

Chalinolobus tuberculatus - pekapeka-tou-roa in Māori - is critically endangered and was entered into the competition as an effort to draw attention to their plight: they prefer to roost in older trees and as a result are threatened by logging activities.

posted by avapoet (32 comments total)

I enjoy slightly editing news article headlines and then sending screencaps to friends in private messages. This was my edit of the Guardian article about it: https://i.imgur.com/WBJfLv4.jpg
posted by bigendian at 3:26 AM on November 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

This is absurd, we all know bats aren’t birds, bats are bugs.
posted by Kattullus at 3:44 AM on November 1, 2021 [15 favorites]

Clearly, Bird of the Year voters are a superstitious and cowardly lot.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:47 AM on November 1, 2021 [6 favorites]

I assume birds rights activists might be annoyed (link to jokey twitter account), but I think this is great. Bats and birds are both cool!

And since the whole point of the contest is to raise awareness of native species, annoying the pedants is always a good way to drum up discussion.
posted by the primroses were over at 3:48 AM on November 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

Due to outside meddling, the 2022 New Zealand Bird of the Year is already predicted to be Wally Flannery of Invercargill. For 2023, it will be a Ute of some sort and 2024 will see entropy as Bird of the Year.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 4:40 AM on November 1, 2021 [6 favorites]

Batty McBatface
posted by chavenet at 4:41 AM on November 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

Has a weta been bird of the year yet? Or do we need more radioactive fallout?
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:00 AM on November 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Taxonomical and functional purist: a finch is a bird
Taxonomical anarchist, functional purist: a bat is a bird
Taxonomical purist, functional anarchist: an emu is a bird
Taxonomical and functional anarchist: a sloth is a bird
posted by acb at 5:01 AM on November 1, 2021 [33 favorites]

I assume birds rights activists might be annoyed

Birds Aren’t Real truthers, however, are undoubtedly feeling vindicated.
posted by acb at 5:22 AM on November 1, 2021 [3 favorites]

Shades of Ron Swanson winning the "Woman of the Year" award.
posted by Alison at 5:45 AM on November 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

If things other than birds can be chosen, be prepared for Donald Trump to run next time. Because you know he's going to have to do it now, or else admit there's a better New Zealand bird than him.

You've opened Pandora's box now, New Zealand. God help you all.
posted by Naberius at 5:59 AM on November 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

This is the first time New Zealand’s only land mammal has been included in Forest & Bird’s annual contest, and it has flown away with the title.

“I think I’m going to be fired,” says Forest & Bird’s Bird of the Year spokesperson Laura Keown.

I love everything about this.
posted by ZaphodB at 7:06 AM on November 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

Kattullus, BATS AREN'T BUGS!
posted by potrzebie at 7:17 AM on November 1, 2021 [3 favorites]

Finally a NZ bird of the year that hangs right side up.
posted by joeyh at 7:38 AM on November 1, 2021 [11 favorites]

This is absurd, we all know bats aren’t birds, bats are bugs.

A rebuttal
posted by TedW at 7:55 AM on November 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

Surely everyone knows by now, birds aren't real.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 8:06 AM on November 1, 2021

Finally a NZ bird of the year that hangs right side up.

Ah, but not in the Southern Hemisphere. Something something Coriolis effect.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:38 AM on November 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Also I haven't won since 2009. Which - I mean - there are a number of other great birds, but I'm basically the national bird FFS.

Yours, though slightly deflated,
Inflatablekiwi
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:42 AM on November 1, 2021 [9 favorites]

Bats may not be birds, but certain birds (Robins and Nightwings), and ex-birds (Red Hoods and Spoilers) can definitely be Bats, at least in Gotham.

As for this particular contest, it certainly worked from a PR standpoint. Now, everybods online is seeing articles and discussions about New Zealand's flying creatures.
posted by sardonyx at 10:55 AM on November 1, 2021 [3 favorites]

In second place, the kākāpō, a flightless parrot, has a fair bit of personality.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:13 PM on November 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

To be fair the contest is called "Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau" - the Māori word "manu" actually means "winged creature" a category that includes birds, bats and insects.

But the everyone voting for the bat is, I suspect, more of a batty-mcbatface sort of pile on
posted by mbo at 1:38 PM on November 1, 2021 [8 favorites]

The resemblance between a sloth and a kakapo is remarkable. Has anyone ever seen a sloth and a kakapo in a room, together, at the same time?

Just sayin’.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 2:17 PM on November 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

the 2022 New Zealand Bird of the Year is already predicted to be Wally Flannery of Invercargill

Oh? I was pretty sure the next Bird of the Year was going to be You.
posted by Metro Gnome at 3:22 PM on November 1, 2021 [4 favorites]

I knew I should have said Guy Williams …
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 4:13 PM on November 1, 2021

One of my Māori work colleagues pointed out today that the seagull (karoro) is traditionally classed "he momo ika", a kind of fish. We might also note that biblically, "עוֹף" (uph) refers to all flying things, including bats, hence the KJV translation "fowls of the air", "fowls" also once having had a more expansive meaning.

But we all know it's just a magnificent troll to draw attention to our endangered indigenous fauna. Fun fact! Bats are New Zealand's only indigenous land mammals.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 5:03 PM on November 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

This brightened my day. How could you say no to that adorable face?
posted by rednikki at 5:23 PM on November 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Fun fact! Bats are New Zealand's only indigenous land mammals.

The NZ Mammal of the Year, which is usually a tad soporific, has been thrown into complete disarray now the bat is ineligible due to changing codes.
posted by Sparx at 6:20 PM on November 1, 2021 [8 favorites]

> Bats are New Zealand's only indigenous land mammals

It seems strangely wrong to call a bat a land mammal
posted by anadem at 6:26 PM on November 1, 2021 [6 favorites]

Would the “2019 before last…” in the OP be 2018?
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 6:05 AM on November 2, 2021

I assume birds rights activists might be annoyed

no. stolen electron. recount. sueing. no.

posted by zamboni at 7:12 AM on November 2, 2021 [4 favorites]

Yours, though slightly deflated,
Inflatablekiwi

Sad. Done in by Deflatermouse.
posted by darksasami at 3:15 PM on November 2, 2021 [11 favorites]

darksasami, drop the mic. the rest of you, pack it in.
posted by tigrrrlily at 5:36 PM on November 2, 2021