The BirdLife Australia Aussie Bird Count has recorded more than five million birds across the country, with the Australian Magpie emerging as the species Australians reported seeing most often during the week-long survey.
More than 64,000 people took part in the 2025 count, submitting around 153,000 checklists and recording 621 bird species during the annual citizen science event.
In Victoria, the Australian Magpie topped the local rankings, followed by the Red Wattlebird and the Common Blackbird. Nationally, Rainbow Lorikeets, Noisy Miners and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were among the species most frequently spotted.
“Because rainbow lorikeets are more social, hanging out in flocks, when we see them, we see more of them.” said BirdLife Australia’s National Public Affairs advisor (and chief bird-nerd) Sean Dooley. “But the magpie is the bird we encounter most often. Every second person who did the Count last year added a magpie to their list.”
The Australian Magpie appeared in one out of every two surveys completed during the count, reflecting how common the bird has become across suburban Australia. Most surveys, around 70 per cent, were carried out in urban or built-up areas.
Bird sightings were recorded across Australia, including remote territories such as the Christmas and Cocos Islands and sub-Antarctic Heard Island.
The results also showed changes in bird populations around Australian cities and suburbs. The Australian White Ibis, often referred to colloquially as the “bin chicken”, climbed from 23rd place in 2021 to 14th in the latest results. The Australian Brush-turkey has also risen in popularity in New South Wales and Queensland.
“Birds respond to the changes we make to our environment. Everybody knows the bin-chicken, especially in Sydney and Brisbane where they’re doing well in the city. Birds like these have found ways to take advantage of urban growth, and it’s encouraging to see native species adapting like this.
“Sadly, the flipside to that story is the birds in need of other kinds of habitat, like smaller bush birds, get pushed into decline as their habitats are destroyed,” said Sean. “It’s a reminder that the changes we make have an impact. Adding native plants to your garden can offer a lifeline to those other Australian native birds that we’re more worried about.”
BirdLife Australia said the annual count continues to grow in popularity, with organisers describing it as one of the country’s largest citizen science projects.
Sean said the event was helping introduce more Australians to birdwatching and conservation work.
“BirdLife Australia turns 125 this year, and it all started when a passionate community of people observed the birds around them and shared their sightings with others. That’s still the backbone of everything we do. The Aussie Bird Count is an open invitation to have a go yourself, or with friends. For many people, that can be the start of a rewarding hobby that helps the scientists protecting birds from extinction.”
“The Aussie Bird Count is a fun way to give bird watching a go while adding to a valuable national snapshot in the places we live, work and learn. The popularity of bird watching is really taking off around the world, so if you tried it and you loved it, we strongly encourage you to keep looking out for birds, taking notes, and sharing what you see on our Birdata website.”
The next Aussie Bird Count is scheduled to run from 19 to 25 October 2026.
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