Thursday 22 October 2009

New Zealand's Top Bird

My daughter sent me this from that strange and wonderful country, New Zealand. As it had me in fits of laughter, I pass it on in the interests of spreading a little jollity. I think it's phrases like 'flightless national bore' and 'feathered ground dweller' that do it - and the fact the Rio Tinto sponsor the Kakapo (that's the feathered ground dweller that climbs up trees and falls off, I believe). They do indeed take their birds seriously in New Zealand. When Oddie ran a similiar poll over here, I don't remember Rio Tinto throwing its corporate weight behind the Chaffinch...

6 comments:

  1. The contrast between the 'harmless feathered ground dweller' and these other Kiwis has always amused me. However, they too might be described as a 'national bore' - not just birds are taken perhaps a bit too seriously in NZ. Lovely dance though.

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  2. In other news, the winner of the poll for Wales's Favourite Woolly Farm Animal is... the sheep.

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  3. Have you seen the Wildlife Photographer of the Year pics? Superb. I like the one of the Yellowhammers, by someone aged just 16. Perhaps the Yellowhammer would make a good new national bird for New Zealand. There's a certain Quixotic appeal in choosing a national bird that doesn't in fact exist in one's country. Somehow I feel that Bill Oddie himself would make a good national bird, perhaps for somwhere like South Georgia or Tristan de Cunha.

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  4. Word has it the riflemen and keas are challenging the first-past-the-post balloting and are demanding a new election with proportional representation and run-offs.

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  5. the bit in 'Last chance to see' when the kakapo had sex with a bloke's head was excellent.

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  6. No mention in the list of top ten birds of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, not surprised, her Pamina was well off the boil.

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