Wellington, New Zealand (AP) – It’s noisy, smelly, shy – and New Zealand’s bird of the year. This year’s victor, the hoiho — its name means “noise shouter” in the Māori language — is a shy bird thought to be the world’s rarest penguin. Aspiring bird campaign managers — this year ranging from power companies to high school students — submit applications to Forest & Bird for the posts. While anyone in the world can vote, Forest & Bird now requires electors to verify their ballots after foreign interference plagued the contest before. The following year, Forest & Bird was forced to clarify that a flurry of votes from Russia appeared to be from legitimate bird-lovers.

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Persons: John Oliver, ”, Emma Rawson, Nicola Toki, Bird, —, Charlie Buchan, Jane Goodall, Phil Keoghan, “, Emily Bull, Bull despaired, Hayden Parsons, –, Rawson, “ There’s, ” Bull Organizations: New Zealand, Forest, New, rugby, Victoria University of Wellington, Bird Locations: Wellington, New Zealand, New, South, Chatham, —, Aotearoa, Dunedin, Russia