Australia Post is celebrating the 10th anniversary of BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count with three of our most commonly seen birds set to be flying across the globe on a commemorative stamp issue launching today.
BirdLife Australia, a pioneer in bird conservation, has been at the forefront of protecting the country’s precious avifauna for over a century. The Aussie Bird Count, an annual citizen science project, reaching its 10th year, plays a crucial role in collecting data on species diversity and populations.
Part of BirdLife’s ongoing efforts to drive relevant science and raise awareness about Australia’s diverse birdlife, the count aims to monitor population trends and assess which bird species are thriving and which ones need conservation attention.
“To commemorate one of Australia’s greatest citizen science endeavours, Australia Post is showcasing the importance of the Aussie Bird Count in bringing people together and fostering a deeper connection with nature,” said Michael Zsolt, Australia Post Group Manager Philatelic Australia Post has released a series of stamps that pay tribute to our country’s remarkable birds. Designed to capture the essence of Australia’s avian wildlife, the stamps highlight the three most birds seen in the Aussie Bird Count, the Rainbow Lorikeet, Noisy Miner, and Australian Magpie.
- Rainbow Lorikeet: Known for its kaleidoscopic colours, the Rainbow Lorikeet has been the number one most seen bird every year of the Aussie Bird Count. These social and energetic birds are often spotted in urban areas, parks, and gardens, feeding on flowering native plants spreading joy with their playful antics and raucous calls, though in cities where they have been introduced such as Perth and Hobart their vibrant presence is not so welcome as they out-compete local parrot species.
- Noisy Miner: As the name suggests, the Noisy Miners are highly vocal birds with a complex range of calls. They are skilled communicators, using a variety of sounds to defend their territory and communicate with their flock. These charismatic honeyeaters are essential pollinators, but numbers of these bold birds have boomed so much that they have started to drive away many of our smaller bush birds.
- Australian Magpie: The iconic Australian Magpie, with its distinctive black and white plumage, holds a special place in the hearts of many Australians. Known for their beautiful, melodious song, magpies are highly intelligent and form strong social bonds. They are also renowned for their swooping behaviour during nesting season, as their protective instincts kick in to safeguard their vulnerable chicks in the nest.
Sean Dooley, BirdLife Australia’s National Public Affairs Manager, said, “During the 2022 Aussie Bird Count, we had 77,000 people participate, counting more than 3.9 million birds of 620 different species. A total of 436,475 Rainbow Lorikeets, 249,237 Noisy Miners, and 191,379 Australian Magpies were spotted and counted by our dedicated citizen scientists.”
“These birds have thrived in the urban landscapes we have created in our cities, towns and backyards but we need to think of ways to improve our urban areas to encourage other native birds too. We’re delighted to see our top three represented on these iconic stamps across the nation and hope this representation landing in letterboxes around the country will help encourage even more Australians to participate this October,” Sean concludes.
The stamp issue includes various products, such as the Aussie Bird Count First Day Cover (Gummed Stamps), the Aussie Bird Count First Day Cover (Minisheet), and a set of three Maxicards, which can be used as postcards and posted world-wide one for each of the stamps in the issue.
Starting today, the stamps are available for purchase through Australia Post’s official website at https://auspost.com.au//stamps.
Join BirdLife Australia and Australia Post in celebrating our nation’s avian treasures and the invaluable work of citizen scientists during this year’s Aussie Bird Count, held from October 16 to 22. For more information on how to participate, visit www.aussiebirdcount.org.au.
About BirdLife Australia
BirdLife Australia is the nation’s largest bird conservation charity. We work to ensure our native birds are protected and valued for their part in the natural world and continue to provide delight and inspiration for all Australians. For over 120 years, we’ve been at the forefront of bird conservation in Australia. Together with our more than 330,000 supporters, BirdLife Australia is working to save birds and their habitats through science and practical on-the-ground action.
About the Aussie Bird Count
Now in its tenth year, the Aussie Bird Count is Australia’s largest annual citizen science event, with around 100,000 people participating each year. Run by BirdLife Australia, the Aussie Bird Count is for all ages and involves observing and counting the birds that live near you, be it in your garden, the local park, the beach or even outside your office window! By telling us about the birds you’ve seen within a 20-minute period, you will help BirdLife Australia develop an understanding of local birds while getting to know the wildlife on your doorstep.
Learn how to take part in the Aussie Bird Count here.
About Australia Post:
As Australia’s postal service for more than 200 years, we’re at the heart of every community. Last year we delivered more than 2.7 billion items around the country and carried out more than 220 million transactions across one of Australia’s largest retail networks of more than 4,300 Post Offices. We employ people of all ages, genders and abilities in our extended workforce of more than 64,000 to reflect the diverse communities we operate in. We are proud to be included in the inaugural Indigenous Employment Index with 3 per cent of our workforce identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and we are the largest Australian employer to be certified as a Disability Confident Recruiter.
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