John Oliver takes Bird of the Century campaign to US

British comedian John Oliver is back campaigning for the Bird of the Century – only this time on American late-night television.

Oliver is set to continue his campaign for the pūteketeke on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

“[John Oliver] is here tonight to campaign for the New Zealand Bird of the Century contest dressed as a pūteketeke bird! #FallonTonight,” a post reads on the show's Instagram page.

On November 7, Oliver threw his hat in the ring for the competition – and became an official campaigner for the lake-dwelling bird.

Pūteketeke are known for their ritualised courtship displays, where they pick up and offer each other water weed and then bump into each other's chests. The comedian made sure to capitalise on that fact.

“I’ve never identified with anything more in my f****** life!” Oliver said at the time.

Oliver also highlighted the threat of extinction pūteketeke currently faces. They have a population of fewer than 1000 birds.

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John Oliver's 'alarmingly aggressive' Bird of the Century campaign

The British comedian has thrown his weight behind his favourite bird, launching a global campaign.

New Zealand

November 7, 2023

He announced his team had put together an “alarmingly aggressive” campaign to help the pūteketeke win this year's competition.

The campaign features bus stop ads across New Zealand, billboards in central Mumbai, animated billboards at the famous Shibuya crossing in Tokyo, and a poster on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.