Extinct birds on the ballot for New Zealand's avian beauty contest

The kakapo, a chubby parrot resembling a green-feathered bowling ball which can’t fly, couldn’t run in last year’s Bird of the Year competition. - Reuters

WELLINGTON (AFP): Five extinct species have been included on the ballot to find New Zealand's most popular feathered friend as competition organisers hope to draw attention to endangered birds.

New Zealand's annual avian beauty contest has proven highly contentious over the years.