Australian Bird of the Year is a biennial poll organised by Guardian Australia and BirdLife Australia. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian birds in an online poll. The intention behind the competition is to celebrate Australian wildlife, add enjoyment to news cycles, and bring awareness to bird conservation and endangered species. Several Australian politicians participate in the polls by endorsing their favourite birds, including prime minister Anthony Albanese.
BirdLife Australia previously held its own poll in 2013, with the superb fairywren declared the winner. Passerines and parrots often dominate the polls. The first winner of the Australian Bird of the Year was the Australian magpie in 2017, while the most recent was the tawny frogmouth in 2025, which was the runner-up in the three preceding polls. More than 310,000 votes were cast in 2025.
Winners + Year Winner Runner-up Photograph Name Votes Name Votes2017Australian magpie19,926(13.3%)Australian white ibis19,083(12.7%)2019Black-throated finch11,153(35%)Tawny frogmouth3,351(10%)2021Superb fairywren13,99813,3322023Swift parrot11,17110,7292025Tawny frogmouth11,851Baudin's black cockatoo7,688
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