Australia Post and BirdLife Australia Unite to Celebrate Aussie Bird Count with Commemorative Stamps
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.
MEDIA RELEASE
August 15th 2023
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 https://aussiebirdcount.org.au.
-ENDS-
Media Contact:
Alex St Claire: 0406 046 471
