An album of birdsong has made pop music history by reaching number three in the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) album chart, soaring past the likes of ABBA, Taylor Swift and Michael Bublé. Captured by wildlife documentarian, David Stewart, the charity record features the tweets and squawks from 53 of Australia’s most endangered birds, including the purple-crowned fairy wren, orange-bellied parrot, far-eastern curlew and bar-tailed godwit.

“Few people would have heard any of these bird calls. If people are emotionally connected to the environment and the issues that are impacting it, they will be more likely to take action,” said producer Anthony Albrecht.

The project was inspired by a landmark extinction report that found that one-in-six Australian birds are now threatened with extinction, with recent studies estimating that the number of bird species facing extinction has increased by as much as 25% due to climate change and the 2019 and 2020 bushfires. All proceeds from the album will be donated to BirdLife Australia, one of the country’s biggest bird conservation organisations.

“This album is a very special record with some rare recordings of birds that may not survive if we don’t come together to protect them,” said Paul Sullivan, CEO of BirdLife Australia.

“While this campaign is fun, there’s a serious side to what we’re doing, and it’s been heartening to see bird enthusiasts showing governments and businesses that Australians care about these important birds.” Read more

Image: The critically endangered orange-bellied parrot