The black robin, a small bird native exclusively to New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, has been named New Zealand’s Bird of the Year following a record voter turnout in a poll organized by the conservation group Forest and Bird. The annual contest aims to highlight threatened species across the country.

Found roughly 800 kilometers east of mainland New Zealand, the black robin is known locally as kakaruia in Māori and karure in Moriori, the language of the Chatham Islands’ indigenous people. Its distinctive all-black plumage, dark eyes, and pointed beak have earned it the nickname “goth” of New Zealand’s avian world.

The species experienced a severe population decline during the 20th century, primarily due to habitat destruction and the introduction of predators. By the 1970s, the wild population had dwindled to only five individuals, including a single breeding pair, pushing the black robin to the brink of extinction.

Conservation efforts employed innovative techniques, such as using other bird species as foster parents to incubate and rear black robin eggs. These measures helped the population gradually increase, and today the species numbers approximately 350 adult birds. The continued recovery of the black robin serves as a notable example of successful wildlife conservation in New Zealand.

The Bird of the Year poll aims to raise public awareness about the challenges facing native and endemic bird species, many of which remain vulnerable due to ongoing threats. This year’s record engagement underscores growing public interest in protecting New Zealand’s unique biodiversity.