Australian bird of the year 2025: nominate your favourite now

We want to hear which Australian birds you think should be shortlisted for the Guardian/Birdlife Australia bird of the year poll next month

Which of the 830 bird species that call Australia home (or at least one of their homes) should make it into the 2025 Australian bird of the year poll?

Australia has the greatest diversity of avian life in the world, home to nearly one in 10 of the world’s 10,000 living bird species. And we love to celebrate it. Australians are renowned for admiring our beautiful, bountiful and boisterous birds. And nothing highlights that more than the Guardian/Birdlife Australia bird of the year poll, held every two years, when birdlovers around the country battle it out to see their favourite feathered friend take the crown as best bird.

Will the tawny frogmouth – which has come second three times – finally shake off its bridesmaid reputation and become the blushing bride? Or will the Canberra crowd triumph with a campaign worthy of their punk-rock faunal emblem, the gang-gang cockatoo? Or will it be another nailbiter between the fearsome magpie and the much-maligned bin chicken?

Now is your chance to make sure you get to vote for your favourite. The Guardian and Birdlife Australia are taking nominations now to help shape the list of 50 birds the country will be asked to vote for next month.

Voting will kick off on Monday 6 October and the winner will be announced on Thursday 16 October. Each day, the five birds with the fewest votes will be knocked out and the vote count begins again the next day. Readers can follow the vote count live on the Guardian’s website until the final days of voting, when the count goes dark.

The bird of the year poll has been running since 2017. Previous winners include the magpie (2017), the black-throated finch (2019), the superb fairywren (2021) and the swift parrot (2023). The winner is ineligible for the next poll, so the swift parrot will not be among the top 50 in 2025 but previous winners may be included by popular demand.

Use the form below to nominate your favourite: