The Aussie Bird Count has revealed the most commonly seen birds across the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and Australia.
The impressive rainbow lorikeet was the most seen bird in the region and the state, while the Australian magpie swooped into top spot nationwide.
The noisy miner, Torresian crow and pied currawong were also highly noted locally.
“Because rainbow lorikeets are more social, hanging out in flocks, when we see them, we see more of them,” BirdLife Australia’s national public affairs advisor and “chief bird-nerd” Sean Dooley said.
“But the magpie is the bird we encounter most often (across Australia). Every second person who did the count last year added a magpie to their list.”
More than 1100 people on the Sunshine Coast counted more than 270 species in BirdLife Australia’s week-long initiative in October. More than 63,000 people across Australia reported a record-breaking 5 million birds.
Sightings were recorded in all corners of the country, including in Christmas and Cocos Islands and sub-Antarctic Heard Island.
Most bird counts though were conducted in built-up areas, adding to a national snapshot of the birds sharing our increasingly urbanised world.
Notable shifts in the overall results from previous years include some birds outside of the top 10 climbing the ranks.
The Australian white ibis has climbed from 23rd place in 2021, to 14th last year in the national count. In NSW and Queensland, the Australian brush-turkey also scratched its way up the ladder.
“Birds respond to the changes we make to our environment,” Mr Dooley said.
“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.
“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.”
Mr Dooley said the growing popularity of the Aussie Bird Count reflected renewed interest in a classic hobby.
“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,” he said.
“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 2026 Aussie Bird Count will take place from October 19-25.
Sunshine Coast’s most commonly seen birds: rainbow lorikeet, noisy miner, Australian magpie, Torresian crow, pied currawong, blue-faced honeyeater, magpie-lark, laughing kookaburra, welcome swallow, grey butcherbird.
Queensland’s most commonly seen birds: rainbow lorikeet, noisy miner, Australian magpie, Torresian crow, magpie-lark, sulphur-crested cockatoo, blue-faced honeyeater, Australian white ibis, crested pigeon, pied currawong.
Australia’s most commonly seen birds: Australian magpie, rainbow lorikeet, noisy miner, sulphur-crested cockatoo, magpie-lark, galah, red wattlebird, crested pigeon, welcome swallow, common myna.
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