New Zealand - The puteketeke, a bird with a bizarre mating dance, wins New Zealand's annual Bird of the Century 2023 after comedian John Oliver launched a global campaign.

The striking Australasian crested grebe soared to an unexpected victory in the Bird of the Century ballot on Wednesday, backed by voters from far-flung cities including Tokyo, London, and Paris.

John Oliver used his Last Week Tonight show to meddle in the contest by campaigning for the Australasian crested grebe, more commonly known by its Maori name "puteketeke."

The comedian's campaign had organizers flapping as a record number of votes poured in from around the world, briefly crashing counting systems.

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The announcement of the annual contest winner had to be delayed for two days while the votes were verified.

With striking plumage of black, white, and brown, New Zealand's online bird encyclopedia celebrates the water-loving puteketeke as "majestic and distinctive."

Oliver less charitably dubbed the threatened animal the "weird puking bird."

Puteketeke are known to eat their feathers to trigger a gag reflex and throw up parasites, said competition organizer Nicola Toki from the conservation group Forest and Bird.

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"Puteketeke began as an outside contender, but was catapulted to the top spot thanks to its unique looks, adorable parenting style – and propensity for puking," Toki said.

They also have a strange and elaborate mating ritual, which they perform with gusto but with limited success. New Zealand's puteketeke population has dwindled below 1,000.

Puteketeke entice potential mates by dangling weeds from their beaks, before chest bumping them, and engaging in a chorus of chirps that experts call the "growling cat display."

On his show Last Week Tonight, John Oliver launched what he dubbed an "alarmingly aggressive campaign" after discovering a loophole, which makes it possible for people not in New Zealand to vote.

The comedian erected billboards in Mumbai, Tokyo, Paris, and London, promoting the puteketeke. Oliver's so-called "fowl play" upset many. Organizers were inundated with a record-breaking 350,000 votes from all over the world. The previous record was 56,000 votes.

"We know birds inspire incredible passion, but we encourage people to channel that passion into productive efforts rather than trying to rig an election," Toki said.

The good-natured competition is never short of controversy, with past polls plagued by suspicious numbers of Russian votes, and accusations that neighboring Australians were trying to rig the competition.