The Pūteketeke had an unexpected ally this year: the United States. In a strange turn of events, chat show host John Oliver campaigned aggressively for this slender necked waterbird, sending hundreds of thousands of US voters to the polls to support the bird best known for synchronized dancing and elaborate mating rituals.
That was absolutely great! I voted and was extremely happy when I found out that the Pūteketeke had won, and the organizers acknowledged John Oliver’s influence in the outcome. The margin of victory was staggering.
HighDef: it was and it was very cool. A store created a metal cut out of the bird with a little metal cut out of John Oliver that sits on the bird’s back just like her babies do!