Current:Home > NewsWith a boost from John Oliver, pūteketeke soars to first in New Zealand bird contest-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
With a boost from John Oliver, pūteketeke soars to first in New Zealand bird contest
lotradecoin wallet setup guide View Date:2024-12-25 21:34:53
A threatened bird called the pūteketeke landed the top spot in a New Zealand bird contest after comedian and talk show host John Oliver unleashed a zany, worldwide campaign on its behalf.
The New Zealand conservation organization Forest & Bird held the contest for Bird of the Century, asking people in the country and abroad to vote for their favorite threatened species among dozens of contestants.
The Last Week Tonight host said his staff asked Forest & Bird if they could campaign for the pūteketeke, a native water bird with a distinctive black-brown frill around its neck, and the group agreed.
"I don't think they understood quite what they were unleashing when they said, 'Go for it,' " said Oliver, dressed as a pūteketeke, during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
To boost support for the species, which he called "magnificent" and "charming," Oliver did a Last Week Tonight segment hyping the pūteketeke and took out billboard ads for the bird in New Zealand, the U.S., India, Japan and elsewhere.
"This is what democracy is all about: America interfering in foreign elections," he joked on his show.
The meddling paid off.
Forest & Bird announced Wednesday that the pūteketeke won the contest with a whopping 290,374 votes.
By comparison, the North Island brown kiwi secured second place with only 12,904 votes.
"We promised controversy but didn't quite expect this!" Forest & Bird Chief Executive Nicola Toki said in a statement. "We're stoked to see the outpouring of passion, creativity and debate that this campaign has ignited."
Even New Zealand's incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon applauded the talk show host for vaulting the pūteketeke to victory.
"Congratulations to campaign manager @iamjohnoliver and all those who gave their support to the Pūteketeke," Luxon said in a tweet.
Also known as the Australasian crested grebe, the pūteketeke has a pointy black beak and a long white neck and is known for its strange behaviors.
The species boasts a bizarre mating ritual, carries around its young on its back in the water and has been known to eat its own feathers before vomiting them back up.
"Pūteketeke began as an outside contender for Bird of the Century but was catapulted to the top spot thanks to its unique looks, adorable parenting style, and propensity for puking," Toki said.
According to Forest & Bird, there are fewer than 3,000 of the birds across New Zealand and Australia, but that number was even lower a few decades ago and has been steadily increasing thanks in part to conservation efforts.
The group noted that more than 80% of the native birds in New Zealand are on the threatened species list.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- What to stream: Post Malone goes country, Sydney Sweeney plays a nun and Madden 25 hits the field
- Zoë Kravitz brings boyfriend Channing Tatum to Lenny Kravitz's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony
- Mega Millions Winning numbers for March 12 drawing, with $735 million jackpot
- Jennifer Lopez cancels handful of shows on first tour in 5 years, fans demand explanation
- Police identify suspect in break-in of Trump campaign office in Virginia
- MIT’s Sloan School Launches Ambitious Climate Center to Aid Policymakers
- Zoë Kravitz brings boyfriend Channing Tatum to Lenny Kravitz's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony
- See the Extravagant Gift Patrick Mahomes Gave Brittany Mahomes for Second Wedding Anniversary
- How you can get a free scoop of ice cream at Baskin Robbins Wednesday
- President Joe Biden has won enough delegates to clinch the 2024 Democratic nomination
Ranking
- Meta kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle despite pleas from researchers, journalists
- Cop boss says marauding rats are getting high on marijuana at New Orleans police headquarters
- NBA legend John Stockton ramps up fight against COVID policies with federal lawsuit
- Nebraska governor approves regulations to allow gender-affirming care for minors
- Infamous LA officer’s gun found in $1 million watch robbery case
- 'Dateline' correspondent Keith Morrison remembers stepson Matthew Perry: 'Not easy'
- Teen Mom's Cheyenne Floyd Says This Is the Secret to a Healthy Sex Life
- Evangelical Christians are fierce Israel supporters. Now they are visiting as war-time volunteers
Recommendation
-
Social media celebrates Chick-Fil-A's Banana Pudding Milkshake: 'Can I go get in line now?'
-
Uvalde police chief resigns after outside report clears officers of wrongdoing in shooting
-
Eric Church announces 19-date 'one of a kind' residency to kick off opening of his Nashville bar
-
Fantasy baseball 2024: Dodgers grab headlines, but many more factors in play
-
New York county signs controversial mask ban meant to hide people's identities in public
-
No, Aaron Rodgers and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., shrooms and Hail Marys do not a VP pick make
-
Ariana Madix Slams Vanderpump Rules Costars for Forgiving Ex Tom Sandoval After Affair Scandal
-
Israel likely to face Hamas resistance for years to come, U.S. intelligence assessment says