After weeks of heated campaigning, New Zealand's Bird of the Year has been announced as the kea.

It marks the first victory for the endangered mountain parrot, known for its intelligence and curiosity.

Bird of the Year coordinator Kimberley Collins says the competition raises awareness of New Zealand's native birds, many of which are endangered.

"The Bird of the Year really just wins the accolade and love of the New Zealand public. They're a huge part of our identity, and this bird will get to wear the crown for a whole year."

She says this year's competition has been it's most popular yet, with more than 50,000 votes cast, up from 20,000 last year.

The competition was marred by controversy when more than 100 fraudulent votes were cast for the white-faced heron by an anonymous Christchurch troll.

The controversy and heated debate around the birds attracted international headlines, being described as a "voting flap" by the BBC.

The kea is classified as Nationally Endangered, with under 7,000 of the flightless bird left. Their main threats as predators such as stoats and cats, but their habit of walking into populated areas often sees them being hit by cars.