John Oliver backed this puking bird – and upset the kiwi – in New Zealand top bird contest

John Oliver usually just delivers his take on current events as host of HBO's "Last Week Tonight," but this week he helped deliver victory in a New Zealand election – for "Bird of the Century."

The British comedian and former "Daily Show" correspondent threw his support behind a water bird called the pūteketeke (pronounced pooh-techie-techie) and the result led to record-breaking vote totals and a victory for the bird – known for its propensity to eat its own feathers then puke them up after eating fish – over the country's official bird, the kiwi.

"They are weird puking birds with colorful mullets. What's not to love here," Oliver said on the Nov. 5 episode of "Last Week Tonight."

The birds also "are known for carrying their babies on their backs … which is, yes, it's adorable," Oliver continued on the episode. "And both parents will incubate the eggs and tend to the chicks and give each other space to co parents. They don't stifle each other, you know. And you want elegance, I'll give you some elegance. They have a mating dance where they both grab a clump of wet grass and chest bump each other before standing around, unsure of what to do next. I've never identified with anything more in my (expletive) life."

During that episode and the subsequent Nov. 12 episode, Oliver talked about his campaign for the bird, which included having billboards encouraging voting displayed in Wellington, New Zealand, and also in London, Mumbai, Paris, Tokyo and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

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How did John Oliver get involved in a New Zealand bird contest?

Forest & Bird, the New Zealand organization which announced the results Wednesday, allows votes from all over the world and approved Oliver's campaign in the two-week election.

However, some New Zealanders cried fowl, arguing that the kiwi, the country's official bird, should win out.

After his campaign kicked off, the surge of votes crashed the group's voting verification system causing a two-day delay in announcing the results, the group said.

In all, the group says it got a record 350,000 votes, more than six times the previous top total of 56,733 in 2021. (Forest & Bird started an annual Bird of the Year competition in 2005 to raise awareness for endangered native birds.)

The pūteketeke got more than 290,000 votes, with the North Island brown kiwi coming in second with 12,904, according to the group.

“Pūteketeke began as an outside contender for Bird of the Century but was catapulted to the top spot thanks to its unique looks, adorable parenting style, and propensity for puking,” says Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki in a press release.  “We’re not surprised these charming characteristics caught the eye of an influential bird enthusiast with a massive following.”

The group called out Oliver's production of a giant pūteketeke puppet, which the host unveiled on the Nov. 5 episode, and his wearing a costume of the bird on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon."

During that appearance on Nov. 8, Oliver predicted a landslide victory. "It is American money undermining a foreign election. What is more to be proud of than that," he said.

Is New Zealand's bird of the century endangered?

The bird, also known as the Australasian crested grebe, is classified as "Nationally Vulnerable," with fewer than 1,000 in New Zealand, and less than 3,000 in New Zealand and Australia combined.

But the population has improved from a low of just 200 in the 1980s, according to Forest & Bird.

“It’s great to have a successful bird as an ambassador for all New Zealand birds to show that even threatened species can bounce back if we give them a hand," said Petrina Duncan, the grebe coordinator for Forest & Bird’s Central Otago Lakes Branch, in the press release.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Zealand bird pūteketeke gets boost from HBO's John Oliver