Endangered small rock wren crowns New Zealand's Bird of the Year

STORY: Endangered small rock wren crowns New Zealand's Bird of the Year DATELINE: Oct. 31, 2022 LENGTH: 0:00:40 LOCATION: Wellington CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of small alpine rock wren STORYLINE: The endangered small alpine rock wren piwauwau has won New Zealand's Bird of the Year 2022, the event organizer announced on Monday. The Bird of the Year is an annual competition held by New Zealand's independent conservation organization Forest and Bird, in a bid to raise people's awareness of the country's natural birds. The event has caught considerable interest from both home and abroad. "The piwauwau win proves New Zealanders love an underbird," said Forest & Bird Chief Executive Nicola Toki. "It's been awesome to see New Zealanders get to know some of their lesser-known feathered neighbors and celebrate how awesome they are. "A vote for piwauwau is a vote for climate action. As New Zealand's only true alpine bird, these tiny wrens are already feeling the impacts of warmer tempera