Hutt City Council is backing the revered kōtare kingfisher in this year’s Bird of the Year competition.

This is the 20 th year of Forest & Bird’s competition to find which of our feathery friends can laud it over their avian counterparts for the next 12 months.

The reasons for Council backing the kōtare are easy to see.

• Master of "chairing" meetings: The kōtare spends hours perched motionless on branches and powerlines, proving its patience and governance skills rival any seasoned councillor.
• Economic development wingman: With its dive-bomb fishing technique, it clearly supports the local seafood industry.
• Fashion icon: Shimmering turquoise-green plumage and a crisp buff chest make it the best-dressed resident of the Hutt Valley (no hi-vis vest required).
• Public speaker extraordinaire: Its loud kek-kek-kek call is far more effective than any Council megaphone at community events.
• Infrastructure specialist: The kōtare drills nesting burrows into clay banks and trees with engineering precision.
• Punctual role model: Turns up on powerlines every morning without needing a calendar invite, proving it can keep to a schedule better than most humans.

On a more serious note, kōtare were admired by Māori for their ability to patiently perch for lengthy periods of time. This led to the name of the elevated platform in a pā where a sentry would stand being referred to as the kōtare.

Council’s Electoral Officer Bruce Hodgins says when it comes time to cast your vote, remember the kōtare isn’t just a bird - it’s an iwi inspiration, fashion icon, an engineer, a motivational speaker, and a time-management guru all rolled into one feathery package.

"Vote kōtare because no other feathered candidate sits this pretty on a powerline."

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