The Guardian’s Australian Bird of the Year competition is back in 2019 and it’s off to a flying start. 

After a last-minute upset in 2017, when the Magpie swooped in to take the title, leaving the poor Australian White Ibis, aka bin chicken, to pick up scrappy second, this year’s comp is sure to be another nail-biter. 

The voting system is set up a little differently in 2019. From now until November 8th, you can vote for any one of your favourite Aussie avian friends, with 50 different birds suggested on the Guardian site, from the cheeky Lorrikeet to the slightly obscure, but bloody beautiful, Spotted Pardalote. After this date, the 10 birds with the most votes will go onto the second round of voting, before one of them comes out as Ausstralia’s top bird. What a title. 

This year we’ve got our money on the Southern Cassowary, and not just because they’re the baddest bird out there. We’ve developed a soft spot for them since we ventured up to the Daintree Rainforest earlier this year, to check out the block of land we’re gonna buy. Once we’ve crowdfunded enough cash money, we’re gonna buy some rainforest, give it back to the national park and protect it, and however many cassowaries call it home, forever. It’s a whole thing and you can help, check it out. 

This comp certainly shines a light on the flocks of unique feathered friends we’ve got in Aus. Some birds we didn’t even know about, like Spangled Drongo (also possibly someone you’d meet at the pub late on a Saturday night), the Grey Shrike-Thrush and the Mallee-Emu Wren. The lucky country indeed! 

We know this is one of Australia’s most sought-after titles, so fingers crossed there’s no fowl play. 

Make sure your favourite bird wins – don’t wing it! Cast your vote now!

 

Feature photo by Jon Harris

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