Bird of the year

Every year Australians are invited to vote for a “bird of the year“. Dozens of birds, with their photo, are listed and you can only vote for one. In the past I’ve voted for the magpie, the rainbow lorikeet, and the tawny frogmouth. It’s always hard to choose a favorite, as I love so many birds. I voted for the tawny frogmouth again this year, because it hasn’t won yet. Maggies (magpies) and rainbow lorikeets have won in previous years, so I’m hoping the tawny frogmouth wins this year.

I love these shaggy, ugly, almost invisible birds. They have camouflage down to the finest of arts, and resemble a ragged collection of bark, so people often miss seeing them. I once saw a small family of them high up in a gum tree (eucalyptus) near my old house — two adults (presumably mother and father) and an even scruffier baby in between. You don’t often see them in the city, so it was a real thrill.

The photo below was taken by Ricardo Waguski and was posted on the FaceBook page: Native Birds Australia.

Not a pretty bird, as you can see, but somehow endearing. And I hope it wins this year.