Aotearoa New Zealand may call itself the land of birds, but numbers-wise, the title doesn’t stack up.
There are just over 200 bird species breeding here in Aoteaora. But Ireland has more than twice as many at over 450 species.
Then why the title? Is it because birds here fill interesting ecological niches that elsewhere are taken up by various mammals? Is it because many of the birds are endemic – found no-where else on earth?
Or is it simply birding bluster?
There’s only one way to find out.
The Great Ireland vs. New Zealand Bird-off returns for round two. Who will fly to victory? Photo: Northern lapwing – Imran Shah CC BY-SA 2.0 / North Island brown kiwi 123RF
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Welcome back to the Great Ireland versus New Zealand Bird-off.
Last week’s opening salvos saw the white-crested sea eagle defeat the moa, on account of not being extinct, and the kea outsmart the northern raven.
Tītipounamu was gifted a win over the goldcrest, in a move Ireland might yet regret, and we finished up with a mighty showdown – Sirocco the kākāpō versus the swallow, herald of summer.
In a controversial decision prompted by childhood memories, the swallow was given the win, to leave everything tied up at two all.
And so, we are back. To sort this out once and for all.
To learn more:
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If you want to learn which nation wins, you’ll have to listen to the full-length version of this episode on Our Changing World.
