The kererū has been crowned the 2018 Bird of the Year,
The bird had help from high profile New Zealanders such as National's Paula Bennett and the Green Party's Chloe Swarbrick.
It is described by its campaign managers on the Forest & Bird website as: "Clumsy, drunk, gluttonous and glamorous, the kererū exudes a charming ennui that's a nice counterpoint to the industrious verve commonly observed in the bird world."
Manager Tim Onnes told 1 NEWS previously the kererū deserved the award because the are "the big strapping flying labradors of the forest and they're hugely important for spreading the seeds of native trees".
He said their "girth" sets them apart from the flock.
This year's competition was hit by fraudulent votes, after Forest & Bird's independent scrutineer Dragonfly Data Science picked up the heightened voting from across the ditch, that came from one I.P. address.
"They picked up the votes and shut them down," Forest & Bird said in a tweet.
The shag received 310 votes in just over four hours.
The Bird of the Year was announced on RNZ's Morning Report.
The kea took out the competition in 2017.
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