Overview

• The tawny frogmouth secured 11,851 final-round votes, topping Baudin’s black cockatoo (7,688) and the gang-gang cockatoo (6,256).
• More than 310,000 votes were cast in the biennial Guardian/BirdLife Australia poll, which held its final round from 9–15 October.
• The final top 10 also included the willie wagtail, bush stone-curlew, laughing kookaburra, southern emu-wren, spotted pardalote, wedge-tailed eagle and little penguin, with the magpie missing out for the first time.
• Coverage underscored conservation concerns for Baudin’s black cockatoo, as researchers call for a critically endangered listing that the Western Australian government has not adopted.
• The announcement lands just before BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count beginning 20 October to mobilize nationwide birdwatching and data collection.