Black robin, once down to one breeding pair, wins NZ bird of the year

The black robin, once the world's rarest bird with just one breeding pair in the 1970s, has won New Zealand's 2026 bird of the year after a record 105,000 votes. A pioneering foster-parenting programme lifted its population to 350 adults, but conservationists say habitat is near capacity and a third pest-free island is needed.