Kakapo voted Bird of the Year

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The kakapo has won the vote for Bird of the Year, knocking the grey warbler off its perch.

After month-long polling, the kakapo won Forest & Bird's annual avian electoral race with 578 votes, well ahead of the takahe, which scored 322 votes.

Forest & Bird's chief electoral officer Kevin Hackwell said it was huge victory for the flightless bird, which was on the brink of extinction and remained critically endangered.

Last year's winner, the grey warbler, slumped in popularity, only just making it into the top 10.

New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi, for the first time failed to make the top 10, coming in at number 13.

The top 10 were:

Kakapo

Takahe

Kokako

Tui

Rifleman

Fantail

Morepork

Kea

Kereru

Grey warbler

- NZPA