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New Zealand’s annual Bird of the Year competition has crowned an unexpected victor: the Kārearea, or New Zealand falcon.
The bird is a formidable predator known for its hunting prowess. It beat a wealth of more conventionally cute contenders like parrots and robins.
The raptor, whose Indigenous Māori name is Kārearea, was announced as the winner on Monday in a poll organised by conservation group Forest & Bird, which is far from a typical online ballot.
This fiercely contested election involves volunteer human camp
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