Karmactive Staff
Tawny Frogmouth wins Australia’s Bird of the Year 2025
Final votes, quick facts & how to join the Aussie Bird Count (20–26 October 2025).
Winner: The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) has been crowned Guardian/BirdLife Australia Bird of the Year 2025, securing 11,851 votes in the final round after previous runner‑up finishes in 2019, 2021, and 2023. Over 310,000 votes were cast in the biennial poll.
According to species guidance from BirdLife Australia, tawny frogmouths are nocturnal and often mistaken for owls but are more closely related to nightjars. The national Aussie Bird Count runs 20–26 October 2025 and invites 20‑minute counts in backyards and local parks.
Related reading on Karmactive: Australian birds and climate‑linked traits, rare cockatoo–galah hybrid sighting, and urban wildlife updates.
View data table (accessibility fallback)
| Bird | Final votes |
|---|---|
| Tawny Frogmouth | 11,851 |
| Baudin’s Black‑Cockatoo | 7,688 |
| Gang‑gang Cockatoo | 6,256 |
| Willie Wagtail | 4,947 |
| Bush Stone‑curlew | 4,370 |
| Laughing Kookaburra | 4,361 |
| Southern Emu‑wren | 4,323 |
| Spotted Pardalote | 3,474 |
| Wedge‑tailed Eagle | 3,470 |
| Little Penguin | 3,268 |
Further details: BirdLife Australia announcement.
Tawny frogmouths are found across Australia in most habitats except dense rainforests, alpine moors and treeless deserts. Nocturnal and territorial, pairs typically nest on large horizontal branches of older trees. Their mottled silvery‑grey and russet plumage resembles tree bark.
Often mistaken for owls, frogmouths are closer to nightjars. A 2021 study identified the tawny frogmouth as among the most photographed birds online.
Set aside 20 minutes between 20–26 October 2025 and log birds you see in one spot. Get guides and the app via aussiebirdcount.org.au.
- 2019: Black‑throated Finch
- 2021: Superb Fairy‑wren
- 2023: Swift Parrot
- 2025: Tawny Frogmouth
Quick check: Is the tawny frogmouth an owl?
The section listed the 2025 final votes, the top‑ten order, concise species notes and the Aussie Bird Count dates, with links to official resources and related Karmactive coverage.
