Bird of the Year: Vote for me, the Adélie
Antarctica New Zealand is campaigning for the Adélie penguin to be the next New Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau – Bird of the Year 2024.
More than a third of the global Adélie penguin population lives in Aotearoa's home in Antarctica, the Ross Sea region, and New Zealand plays an important role in protecting them. Vote here!
NZ’s bird from our home in Antarctica
The little black-and-white penguins thrive in New Zealand’s home in Antarctica, the Ross Sea region, where about a third of the global Adélie population live. The curious birds sometimes visit Scott Base and a few have even made the 4000km swim across the Southern Ocean to New Zealand.
Annual penguin census
New Zealand plays a crucial role in protecting these penguins. Antarctica New Zealand and Manaaki Whenua have conducted an annual Adélie penguin census in the Ross Sea region since the early 1980s, making it one of the longest-running biological time series in Antarctica. This invaluable data helps us understand and protect Adélie penguin populations.
Antarctic ocean ecosystems
Often considered the world’s feistiest penguin, Adélies are a vital indicator of ecosystem health, like the proverbial canary in a coal mine. Fluctuations in their population can signal shifts in prey abundance or other factors impacting marine ecosystems. Their survival is under threat from the ever-changing climate, with their life spans intricately intertwined with sea ice —which hit a record low last year.
- See all the beautiful birds at Bird of the Year ‹ Forest & Bird