As part of its 20th anniversary celebration of Bird of the Year, Forest & Bird is excited to announce a new musical partnership to celebrate its annual avian election.
The Waiata Manu series will see the winning bird honoured with its own song, produced by acclaimed New Zealand musician and multidisciplinary artist, Delaney Davidson, with different guest songwriters each year.
Troy Kingi is recording the first track in the series at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios after the 2025 winner is announced.
The project was conceived by Delaney Davidson to continue the tradition of Hirini Melbourne and the many waiata he wrote about the manu of Aotearoa.
This initiative promises a rolling cast of guest songwriters each year. The aim is to honour those special birds, spread their magic, and inspire and educate people about our endangered native species.
Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki says, “Bird of the Year has grown from a simple email poll to a cultural moment in Aotearoa. It’s fantastic to have these incredible artists joining the celebration, using their creativity to give nature a voice in a whole new way.
“We’re looking forward to building a collection of Kiwi classics that become part of our national identity as a country that loves nature and connects deeply with the species that call this place home.”
Delaney explains that the project started as a kōrero between himself and his brother, Member of Parliament, Reuben Davidson.
“It was inspired partly by the idea of giving the winning bird something to reward it for its win, and partly by hearing Marlon Williams’ waiata about the hoiho,” Delaney says.
“Kicking off this year with Troy Kingi as our inaugural writer felt right. His songwriting and his vision are unparalleled, and I thought it would be a great way to start the initiative, and of course there’s the great echo of the singing songwriter and the manu.
“I would love these songs to be something we all learn to sing. We teach them in schools. We learn about the manu by singing the songs. We honour the whenua and we honour the manu. We transform ourselves into manu by singing. And I see us building on Hirini’s tradition by creating a vast treasury of songs, like a forest, full of magic.”
Voting closes for Bird of the Year 2025 at 5pm, 28 September. The winning bird will take centre stage as the first Waiata Manu ‘songbird’.
Why it matters
Behind the fun and creativity, Waiata Manu carries an important message. More than 80% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s native birds are threatened or at risk of extinction. Each song will shine a spotlight on the winning species – helping people to fall in love with these birds, understand the challenges they face, and take action to protect them.
The first track in the Waiata Manu series is due for release by December 2025.