Endangered Black Robin aka 'Karure' named New Zealand's 2026 Bird of the Year

New Zealand's critically endangered black robin, known as the “karure”, has been named the country's 2026 Bird of the Year after securing more than 25,000 votes in a record-breaking public contest.The small black bird, found only on the remote Chatham Islands about 800 kilometres east of mainland New Zealand, finished ahead of the kākāpō and the New Zealand falcon, which placed second and third respectively.More than 105,000 people voted in this year's competition, according to conservation group Forest & Bird. That was the highest turnout since the contest began, with about 88% of the votes coming from within New Zealand.From five birds to around 350The karure's victory comes as its population continues to recover from a near-extinction crisis.By 1980, only five black robins remained. Just one of them, a female known as Old Blue, was capable of breeding. Conservationists began a recovery programme using Old Blue and a male called Old Yellow as the founding pair, according to Forest & Bird as cited by CNN.There are now about 350 adult black robins living on two pest-free reserve islands.The recovery made the species a prominent example of New Zealand's conservation efforts, but its future remains uncertain. The Department of Conservation classifies the karure as Threatened-Nationally Critical, while conservationists say the existing habitat is close to capacity.They want to establish another population on a third island to allow the species to continue growing.Record turnout for Bird of the YearThe 2026 vote attracted more than 105,000 ballots, up from more than 75,000 in 2025. The figure is a significant increase from the competition's first edition two decades ago, when fewer than 900 votes were recorded.This year's contest used an election-style format, with birds grouped into parties including Shy Birds, Floor Birds, Night Birds and High Birds.Conservation message behind the contestForest & Bird said the competition is intended to draw attention to native wildlife and the threats facing endangered species.Rebecca Hatch, the group's manager for growing support, said the humour surrounding the contest helped draw attention to a more serious conservation issue."The jokes are funny and this year's meme game certainly didn't disappoint, but underneath it all there is a serious message," Hatch said.Forest & Bird says 80% of New Zealand's native bird species are facing some level of trouble or serious threat.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.