Bird of the year 2023: six underbirds that deserve your vote
www.theguardian.com
Some of Australia’s most recognised feathered denizens have been flying under the popularity radar for far too long
  • The swift parrot is ranked 35th on the 2021 bird of the year list, disappointing bird enthusiasts.
  • The eastern koel is a controversial bird that people either love or hate, known for its loud cooing sound.
  • Emus are an important part of Australia’s ecosystem, distributing seeds of native plants.
  • The black swan holds symbolic meaning and was historically seen as something unlikely, similar to a flying pig.
  • Threats to the swift parrot include habitat destruction due to logging in Tasmania and New South Wales.
  • Nath@aussie.zone
    2·
    11 months ago

    How is a bird that is on our coat of arms underrated? It’s probably our most famous bird. We probably don’t vote for it because it is so famous that we assume it has enough accolades already.

  • No1@aussie.zone
    2·
    11 months ago

    Tim Siggs’ youtube channel is great for Aussie birds and their calls.

    eg, if you weren’t sure which one is the annoying Eastern Koel

    The Eastern Whipbird is a personal fave. The other interesting thing I heard was that apparently the Bell Miner calls which sound so cute, are apparently them and their gang saying “FUCK OFF! THIS IS OURS! GET OUTTA HERE!”. They have complex social organisations and are very territorial. We only see a tiny fraction of what’s going on.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Sean Dooley, the Birdlife Australia national public affairs manager, says he is “deeply saddened” by this and the bird is bigger than its 2017 irony vote.

    The ibis isn’t native to Sydney and moved in as a result of humans messing with natural water systems, Dooley says.

    And let’s not forget the great emu war of 1932, when the Australian army sent troops to a small town in WA to fight a group of emus that were supposedly causing a nuisance.

    This was the catalyst for the black swan theory, the meaning of which varies slightly between its use in economics and philosophy but is similar to “when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me”.

    When casting your vote, remember that the swift parrot’s centuries-old breeding and feeding trees are being felled – often to produce pulp wood.

    The eastern koel spends winter in the tropics and travels down to Australia in the summer, where Dolley says it “drives people mad with its cooee cry”.

    The original article contains 803 words, the summary contains 169 words. Saved 79%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!