When framing the shortlist for the 2023 bird of the year, we opted for familiar Aussie birds that hold a special place in our hearts
- The Australian bird of the year poll launches today, 25 September 2023
Those of us who work at Birdlife Australia get asked a lot of questions about birds. Usually, it’s to ID a mystery backyard bird. (Nine times out of 10 it’s a butcherbird!) Occasionally, we get thrown a much curlier question such as “Is a cassowary a bird?”, “Do birds have penises?” or “What’s your favourite bird?”.
The answers are: “yes”, “females don’t, but neither do males of most species – they have a cloaca, which is a topic for another day”. And the last question is almost impossible to answer. How can you possibly choose?
Sean Dooley is national public affairs manager for BirdLife Australia
You can vote in the bird of the year poll from 6am Monday 25 September to 11.59pm Thursday 5 October
