Which New Zealand native bird will capture your heart this year?

Meet the candidates on the Bird of the Year website. Rank your top-five choices to help decide which bird will be crowned Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau – Bird of the Year 2024.

The Science Learning Hub, for their record size, amazing adaptations and far-flying ways, are supporting the toroa for Bird of the Year 2024!

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

Toroa – a majestic bird of the skies

The toroa or albatross is a large seabird. Many different species of albatross spend time in Aotearoa’s oceans, the conservation status of some albatross species is nationally critical.

Select here to view video transcript and copyright information.

Key dates

  • Voting opens: 9am, 2 September
  • Voting closes: 5pm, 15 September

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Science Learning Hub campaign

The Science Learning Hub are big supporters of Bird of the Year – see our previous campaign videos for the huia, ruru and takahē.

For 2024 we are backing the majestic toroa/northern royal albatross.

Related content

In 2021 there was lots of controversy when the pekepeka won, but which bird will get your vote in 2024? Will it be the takahē, kiwi, kākā, kererū, godwit, kea, albatross, ruru, huia or one of New Zealand's native ducks?

Last year Forest & Bird included 5 extinct species in the competition, read why this was important in Call of the huia: how NZ’s bird of the century contest helps us express ‘ecological grief’. The 2023 contest gained lots of international attention, explore this further in Pūteketeke – it’s OK to laugh at Bird of the Century.

We have re-purposed the popular Building Science Concepts Book 3: Birds: Structure, Function, and Adaptation with an article and interactive linking this great resource with Hub content.

The Science Learning Hub also has a flock of resources under our birds topic, you could start with the article Conserving native birds – introduction.

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