Kiwi pukupuku little spotted kiwi at Zealandia, Wellington. Photo: Judi Lapsley Miller
Organisations across Wellington are backing a campaign for the kiwi to win Bird of the Year in the competition's 20th year.
Zealandia wildlife sanctuary, Wētā Workshop, The Royal NZ Ballet, Wellington Phoenix, Te Papa, and Capital Kiwi are among 25 institutions and groups in the capital supporting the kiwi.
Zealandia chief executive Danielle Shanahan said kiwi pukupuku - the little spotted kiwi - is at the forefront of the campaign which includes all kiwi species.
"They're little, almost just a bit smaller than a rugby ball, wandering around on their little legs.
"They have beautiful feathers, that have little spots through them, so they are quite distinctive in appearance, they have that little adorable face that most kiwi do."
Kiwi pukupuku were extremely vulnerable to stoats, cats and dogs, surviving on off-shore islands, and recently thriving in the fenced-off predator-free Zealandia, where the population has grown from 40 to 200, she said.
Kiwi Bird of the Year QR code. Photo: Supplied
The little spotted kiwi also turned up unexpectedly on The little spotted kiwi also turned up unexpectedly on the West Coast of the South Island in May.
"All of a sudden they seemed to be coming back, so they're a bit of a symbol of success, and hope and optimism that we can actually reverse the tide of loss of biodiversity."
Shanahan said this was the first city-wide campaign she knew in 20 years of Bird of the Year, and was a statement that Wellington was "the capital of conservation", where the Capital Kiwi Project was also in full swing.
That project has set 4500 traps over 24,000ha in the region, and in April there were 200 brown kiwi, or kiwi nui, around the hills of the city.
It was time for kiwi to make a comeback in the competition, after it was pipped for Bird of the Century by the pūteketeke, backed by British-American comedian John Oliver, Shanahan said.
Kiwi nui North Island Brown kiwi. Photo: Susan Ellis / Remutaka Conservation Trust
"We think it's time to reclaim our place on the leaderboard for kiwi, for all people who call themselves kiwi as well. It really is time to vote Bird of the Year, vote Kiwi."
Wellington Phoenix marketing executive Georgia Jury-Putter, said the team's beloved Phoenix mascot Nixie would be promoting the kiwi in videos in the coming weeks.
"Unfortunately Nixie isn't up for grabs for Bird of the Year, but the kiwi is the next best thing."
The football team was keen to drum up some pride in the city which had been the subject of grim headlines of late, she said.
"Hopefully we'll get a bit of national support as well, maybe not from our Auckland counterparts - but hopefully they'll get behind it as well and get behind the kiwi as well."
Letetia Cheetham, from Wellington Cable Car, agreed.
"I think we feel a little bit robbed that the kiwi didn't get Bird of the Century, and we just think it's important that kiwi is recognised as our national icon."
One set of the Cable Car's tunnel lights would light up with colourful kiwis between 8 and 15 September to support the campaign, Cheetham said.
"If you go through the tunnels you will hear kids getting all excited about the tunnel lights, on top of our views it's our most talked about attraction, so being able to light the tunnels up with the kiwis will be awesome for the kiddies."
Voting for Bird of the Year starts on 15 September.
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