There’s a lot of calls at the moment to vote in Forest and Bird’s Bird of the year campaign. PMNT doesn’t usually campaign for a bird, but this year we are campaigning for bar-tailed godwit.
Here’s why you should vote for the godwit:
1. To keep our godwits coming to NZ we need the support of people all around the world. Voting godwit for bird of the year will show people around the world that NZ cares about this species, our bird and their bird. It will be a powerful message.
2. NZ has some amazing conservation stories, but we’d like to stop the decline of shorebirds before another desperate rescue is required. Red Knots are declining steadily (about 5% a year), godwits are declining more slowly, about 2% a year. Vote godwit to help raise awareness about the conservation needs of our migratory shorebirds.
3. Godwits are just cool. Bar-tailed godwits still hold the record for the longest flight by a landbird – Alaska to NZ without stopping – and they have to flap their wings the whole way – no soaring for these birds. A vote for the Bar-tailed Godwit is an acknowledgement of its incredible abilities.
4. Godwits, and all of our migratory shorebirds that head north, are reliant on the Yellow Sea in China as a stopping point. Its an amazing area but there are huge pressures on it and massive habitat loss for our birds. Voting godwit recognises the challenges that a changing world poses.
5. Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalists’ trust is celebrating its 40th birthday with “Year of the godwit”. We’ve had great poster competitions and speakers. Voting godwit as bird of the year will take our celebration one step further.
Vote at www.birdoftheyear.org.nz
To follow our campaign online check out our facebook or follow godwin the grumpy godwit on twitter.
Bird of the Year is an annual competition run by Forest and Bird, an independent conservation organisation in New Zealand.