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[CULTURE] · New Zealand · 30 sources

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Part of situation: New Zealand Bird of the Year competition (2 clusters)

Black robin named New Zealand Bird of the Year

Bird of the Year black robin karure conservation success Chatham Islands

The critically endangered black robin, also known as the karure, has been crowned New Zealand’s 2026 Bird of the Year. The announcement by conservation group Forest & Bird followed a record-breaking turnout, with approximately 105,000 votes cast—roughly one in every 50 New Zealanders.

The black robin, a small bird with striking black plumage often nicknamed the ‘goth’ of the bird world, is native to the remote Chatham Islands. Its victory marks a significant conservation milestone. In the 1980s, the species was on the brink of extinction with only five individuals remaining, including a single breeding female named Old Blue. Through intensive breeding programs that utilized other species as foster parents, the population has grown to approximately 350 adult birds.

Despite this recovery, the species remains classified as threatened. The Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust, which campaigned for the robin, is now working to establish a third habitat to ensure the population can continue to expand safely.

Entities

Black Robin · Chatham Islands · Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust · Department of Conservation · Forest & Bird · Forest and Bird · Karure · Karure · New Zealand

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

  • [● 2 SOURCES] The karure black robin won the 2026 Bird of the Year competition. livenews.co.nz
  • [● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 80 percent of New Zealand's native bird species are at risk of extinction.
  • [● 2 SOURCES] The karure received 25,610 votes to win the title. livenews.co.nz
  • [● 2 SOURCES] Record participation saw 105,000 people vote in the 2026 competition. livenews.co.nz
  • [● 2 SOURCES] The kārearea, or New Zealand falcon, placed third with 17,423 votes. livenews.co.nz
  • [● 2 SOURCES] The karure population was reduced to just five birds in 1980. livenews.co.nz
  • [● 2 SOURCES] The kākāpō finished in second place with 19,445 votes. livenews.co.nz
  • [● 2 SOURCES] There are currently approximately 350 adult karure living on two pest-free islands. livenews.co.nz

Sources

Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de]
New Zealand crowns endangered black robin as Bird of the Year [tob.news]
Pisco-de-Chatham é eleito Ave do Ano na Nova Zelândia com votação recorde - PAIPEE [br.paipee.com]
Karure gewinnt Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres 2023 [www.vol.at]
Black Robin Wins New Zealand's 2026 Bird of the Year Competition [world-today-journal.com]
Karure wird Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [brandaktuell.at]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.fehmarn24.de]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.halternerzeitung.de]
Tiny Black Robin Named Bird of the Year 2026 [www.kiwikidsnews.co.nz]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.kurierverlag.de]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.leinetal24.de]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.waltroper-zeitung.de]
This tiny ‘goth’ bird was nearly extinct. Now it’s New Zealand’s Bird of the Year [abc17news.com]
個体数5羽から驚異的な回復、NZの今年の鳥は真っ黒な「チャタムヒタキ」 [www.cnn.co.jp]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.dorstenerzeitung.de]
New Zealanders pick endangered black robin as Bird of the Year [www.enca.com]
Los neozelandeses eligen al petirrojo negro, rescatado de la casi extinción, como Ave del Año [es.euronews.com]
New Zealanders pick endangered black robin as Bird of the Year [www.euronews.com]
Com número recorde de eleitores, Nova Zelândia elege a Ave do Ano, antigo pássaro mais raro do mundo [extra.globo.com]
Conservation – Karure black robin wins 2026 Bird of the Year! [livenews.co.nz]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.muensterlandzeitung.de]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.nordbayern.de]
Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.stimberg-zeitung.de]
New Zealanders pick endangered black robin as Bird of the Year [thesun.my]
Weltweite Abstimmung: Piepmatz mit Krone: Karure ist Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres [www.volksfreund.de]
LITTLE BATTLER, BIG WIN: KARURE TAKES BIRD OF THE YEAR CROWN [waateanews.com]
Il nuovo uccello neozelandese dell'anno si era quasi estinto [www.ilpost.it]
Neuseelands Vogel des Jahres: Winzig, niedlich und sehr rund [taz.de]
Black robin which was once world's rarest bird wins NZ's prestigious Bird of the Year [www.independent.co.uk]
The black robin, once down to just a single breeding pair, wins NZ bird of the year [www.theguardian.com]