The pukeko has been named Bird of the Year for the first time.
Forest and Bird has been holding its own election of sorts for the past month.
Some 7851 votes were cast, with 1480 going to the pukeko.
The kakapo came in second place with just over 1000 votes, while the hihi, kaka and tui round out the top five.
Forest and Bird spokesperson Kevin Hackwell says most wetlands where pukekos are found have been drained to make way for developments, so the birds are common sights on motorways.
He says it would be nice to think this year's bird of the year could become a poster bird for wetlands.
