Campaign managers for other birds called foul, calling on New Zealanders to get involved and vote for other birds including the kakapo parrot and the national bird, the kiwi.

The population of New Zealand's kakapo, an endangered flightless parrot, has increased 25% in the last year to 252 birds following a good breeding season and success with artificial insemination, the conservation department said Tuesday.

The population of the kakapo, which is the world’s heaviest parrot, is now at its highest number since the 1970s.

The kakapo have been nearly wiped out by introduced predators such as stoats as the birds cannot fly.

"There were just 86 kakapo when I first started working as a kakapo ranger in 2002. That number was scary. Having a breeding season with 55 chicks feels like a very positive step," said Deidre Vercoe, operational manager for the kakapo recovery programme.