The Hoiho penguin has been voted New Zealand's bird of the year. One of the rarest penguin species in the world, it's endemic to New Zealand, and conservationists hope the vote will help raise awareness for the bird's survival.
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00:00The hoiho penguin has been voted New Zealand's bird of the year.
00:04One of the rarest penguin species in the world, the hoiho is endemic to New Zealand,
00:08but only 4 to 5 thousand remain in the wild.
00:12Hoiho penguins have lost almost 80 percent of their population in the past 15 years
00:17because of climate change and predators.
00:19Despite its name meaning noise shoulder in the Maori language, the penguin is incredibly shy.
00:25Conservationists are excited by the hoiho's victory and say that it will
00:29bring awareness to the bird's struggle for survival.