Wellington, Nov 8: New Zealand’s long tailed bat, pekapeka-tou-roa (Chalinolobus tuberculatus), a flying mammal, has been voted the ‘Bird of the Year’ by Forest and Bird, an independent conservation organisation. Around 57,000 people from over 100 countries voted for New Zealand’s top bird. The organization claims that the bat was included in the contest for the first time in the contest’s 16 years history. The decision was taken as bats face the same problems as birds – predators, habitat loss, and climate change.
Trailing behind in second position was kakapo (Strigops habroptilus).
The pekapeka-tou-roa bats are a highly endangered species. An adult bat weighs around 11 grams and is the size of a human thumb. Bats are the only land mammals native to New Zealand. All the other mammals were introduced by humans. Native bat population started to decline after the introduction of dogs and cats in the region.
The Bird of the Year contest is organized to raise awareness about New Zealand’s wildlife, their habitat, and the threat they face.
Image Credit: Twitter@Forest_and_Bird