Which bird raised the most for conservation in 2026?
It’s that lovely time of year when I get to crunch the numbers and find out which birds have been earning their conservation halos. Thanks to your art purchases, 10% of my proceeds from endangered bird art goes straight back to wildlife organisations doing the hard mahi. And even with cost-of-living pressures still high, we raised over $3,400 for the birds this year! That is genuinely wonderful. Thank you.
On your behalf, I’ve made donations to Zealandia, Forest & Bird, Mauri Ora Kākāpō Recovery, Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Trust, Birds New Zealand/Te Kāhui Mātai Manu o Aotearoa, and BirdCare Aotearoa. These funds support habitat protection and restoration, research, and the care and recovery of sick and injured birds. I’m hugely grateful that, together, we can turn beautiful things for our walls into practical help for our wildlife. The links above take you to the art collections that support each organisation.
Now for the serious business: which birds brought in the biggest donations this year? Counting down from number 5 to number 1, here are the fundraising stars of 2025–26:
Number 5: "Beloved Tūī"
At number 5, Beloved Tūī, is a new entrant to the list. He supports BirdCare Aotearoa, helping them care for injured and ill native birds until they’re ready to head back into the wild.
Number 4: "Patience Rewarded"
At number 4 is Patience Rewarded, featuring a kōtare watching from a weathered fencepost in the hazy warmth of a summer meadow. It’s all stillness and soft grasses — right up until lunch flies past and the mighty little hunter springs into action. This piece supports Forest & Bird and their work protecting Aotearoa’s wildlife and wild places.
Number 3: "A New View 2 (tūī)"
Slipping from the number 2 slot, our favourite yoga-loving tūī is still hugely popular. He supports my happy place — Zealandia EcoSanctuary — which is an incredible wildlife sanctuary right here in the heart of Wellington City.
Number 2: "A Hidden World (kākāpō)"
After dropping from the charts last year, this year they made a comeback and grabbed the number 2 slot. This will be the last year, though, as the limited-edition prints are now completely sold out except for one at Inspirit Gallery, at the time of writing. From here on, they are only available as open-edition A5 prints, TinyArt, greeting cards, and the like. Still, these irresistible moss chickens have gone from strength to strength. In 2022–23 they even won two awards: the "Pride in Print" gold award for speciality prints, and the President's Award at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts "Matariki" exhibition — as well as exhibiting in the Te Papakura exhibition space at The Beehive (NZ Parliament).
Number 1: "Te Āhumairangi Dawn Tūī"
And at number 1 is Te Āhumairangi Dawn Tūī, with tūī making the most of the spring kōwhai above Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington Harbour. This one features tī kōuka, wharariki, flowering kōwhai, and that familiar view across to Mātiu Somes Island and the Remutaka Range. It was created on commission in memory of a much-loved father who grew native plants from seed. Appropriately, this piece supports the nearby Ōtari-Wilton's Bush, a living native plant museum in the middle of Wellington City, and a haven for a remarkable diversity of birds and insects too.
The leaderboard is fun, but the real win is what happens after the donations leave my account: trees planted, tracks trapped, birds bandaged, nests watched, data gathered, and habitats given a fighting chance. That’s what your support helps make possible.
So thank you for every order, every share, every kind comment, and every time you point someone towards my work. It all helps keep our native birds visible, valued, and very much worth making a fuss about.
Did your favourite bird make the top five this year? Let me know in the comments!
Aroha nui,
Judi
P.S. Curious who topped the list in past years? Check it out here.
