This parrot that was voted Australian Bird of the Year is critically endangered

In Australia, we love our native birds (at least when they're not trying to swoop us). And once every two years, that bird love is recognised, when the Bird of the Year poll opens – Australians take a vote to crown the Australian Bird of the Year. This year, a whopping 11,171 people voted for the swift parrot, making it the 2023 winning bird in the Guardian and BirdLife Australia competition.

While it seems like just a bit of flighty fun to vote for our favourite avian creatures, the Bird of the Year poll can have a more serious impact. The swift parrot has recently made its way into the critically endangered category. Not-fun fact: more people actually voted for the swift parrot than numbers of the birds left in the wild. This endangered status is what prompted ornithology fans to make a coordinated push to make sure the swift parrot took out top spot. Yes, the colourful bird is a genuinely loved animal in bird-watching circles, but the win was a rally cry to help bring conservation efforts for the bird to the fore.

“This was definitely a concerted vote from people who were captivated not just by the birds themselves but their plight,” said BirdLife Australia’s national public affairs manager, Sean Dooley in an interview with The Guardian. “I hope the government hears this message. People really care about these beautiful birds. They care about what happens to them.”

This comes as the critically endangered swift parrot was detected near the Boggabri coal mine site in north-west NSW earlier this month. The discovery has prompted conservationists to implore the government to cease forest clearing in the area in order to protect this species which is edging closer towards extinction.

The importance of the Australian Bird of the Year vote has never been more important than now, with four of the birds listed in the top 10 contenders being threatened species.

So what other birds got the most votes? The tawny frogmouth came in second place, the gang-gang cockatoo took out third and the laughing kookaburra was named in fourth place. 

In a flap about the swift parrot being endangered? Find out more about how you can help the fight for the swift parrots' protection over here.

To find out more about how cats impact our native wildlife – and what we can do as a community – click here.

Check out our favourite Sydney bushwalks, here.

Love wildlife? Suss out the Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition, right here in Sydney.