Our top picks from the Bird of the Year Top 10

Who will rule the roost?

One of the country’s most hotly contested popularity contests, the Bird of the Year biannual vote celebrates Australia’s remarkable birdlife while shining a spotlight on the species that need our attention most.

While there are some familiar feathered faces that are once again competing for the title, like the worlds most Instagrammable bird, the Tawny Frogmouth and the iconic Laughing kookaburra, we’ve got our eyes on a few special contenders from the Bird of the Year Top 10 who we think truly deserve your vote.

1. Southern Emu-wren (Endangered)

Tiny, secretive, and weighing less than a 10-cent coin, the Southern Emu-wren might not grab headline, but it should. This species is best known for its delicate, wispy tail feathers that look like small emu plumes.

The Kangaroo Island subspecies was one of the hardest-hit victims of the Black Summer bushfires, losing much of its habitat. Another population on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula faces threats from a proposed rocket launch site.

Voting for the Southern Emu-wren helps highlight just how vulnerable Australia’s smallest birds are to the pressures of development and climate change.

2. Baudin’s Black Cockatoo (Critically Endangered)

Endemic to south-western Australia, Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo is easily recognised by its long, slender bill, perfectly designed to extract seeds from marri and jarrah trees.

Recognised as a distinct species only in 1979, Baudin’s was once considered a pest in Western Australia for feeding on orchard fruit — a reputation that led to decades of conflict with the agricultural industry. Despite now being fully protected, illegal shooting remains a major threat, alongside ongoing habitat loss from clearing, mining and bushfires.

Listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act since 1999, Baudin’s populations have declined by as much as 90% in some areas. In 2023, BirdLife Australia submitted a nomination to have the species uplisted to Critically Endangered under WA state legislation, but the state government rejected the proposal.

Once a familiar sight across WA’s south-west forests, they are now one of Australia’s most threatened cockatoos.

By voting for Baudin’s, you’re helping draw national attention to this species — and calling for stronger action to protect both the birds and the forests they call home.

3. Gang-gang Cockatoo (Endangered)

A long-time crowd favourite, the Gang-gang Cockatoo is instantly recognisable, with soft grey scalloped feathers and the male’s scarlet red head and crest and trademark creaky, rising screech call that sounds like a rusty hinge.

Once common in the forests of south-eastern Australia, this much-loved species was formally listed as Endangered in 2022 after the Black Summer bushfires destroyed nearly a third of its habitat.

By voting for the Gang-gang, you’re helping keep the focus on protecting native forests and giving these birds a fighting chance.

So celebrate, vote and spread the bird word! Every vote helps raise awareness of the species that make Australia’s birdlife so unique. Voting closes tomorrow (Wednesday) 6am — so vote for your favourite now!