New Zealand bird of the year: playful alpine parrot kea soars to victory

The world's only mountain parrot whose cheeky antics divide Kiwis, beats kererA and kAkApA to coveted crown

" New Zealand bird of the year leaderboard: check the pecking order

The kea, the world's only alpine parrot, has been crowned New Zealand bird of the year, with thousands more votes cast for the species than there are surviving individuals.

New Zealand's annual bird of the year competition hit new heights this year with more than 50,000 votes cast from around the country and the world. The competition is in its 13th year, and pits the country's rare and endangered birds against one another. No bird has won twice.