General terms and conditions of entry for Australian Traveller Media competitions and giveaways.
Instructions on how to enter and prize information forms part of these Terms and Conditions. Participation in any competition is deemed as acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
The promoter is Australian Traveller Media Pty Ltd (A.B.N. 29 113 975 438). of Suite 101, 15 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills NSW 2011 (Promoter).
Competitions are games of skill and as such, winning entries are selected based on the creativity or accuracy of entries submitted.
Entry is open to residents of Australia aged eighteen years or over only. Employees of the Promoter and their immediate families, suppliers, associated companies and agencies are ineligible to enter. Persons under the age of 18 years are not considered adults and therefore are not able to enter. If a winner is discovered to be under 18, they will automatically be disqualified.
Promotion commences and closes on the dates shown. Only the winner(s) will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours or the prize may be reallocated. Reallocation will be based on remaining competition entrants.
Australian Traveller Media reserves the right to share entry data with the prize promoter. On the occasion that this occurs, Australian Traveller Media will clearly specify this for privacy reasons.
To enter, entrants must follow the entry instructions and answer all competition questions. Entries must be received by 11.59pm on the closing date. Incomplete or automated entries will be disqualified. Multiple entries from the same IP address, same email address or from automated competition entry services are invalid.
One entry per person and per household. Multiple entries from the same person or same household will be disqualified.
The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Prize is not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash. No responsibility is accepted for any variation in the value of the prize. If the prize includes travel and accommodation it is the responsibility of the winner to liaise with the prize provider if cancellations or changes are made by the provider. The Promoter cannot take responsibility for cancellations to bookings. Transport to and from an event and all other ancillary costs are the responsibility of the winner.
All competition entrants must reside in Australia. Winners entering from outside Australia will be disqualified.
The Promoter reserves the right to, at any time, verify an entry or entrant and disqualify an entrant the Promoter has reason to believe has submitted an entry not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
All entries in the competition become the property of the Promoter. The Promoter collects personal information from entrants to conduct the competition and may, in the course of business, disclose the personal information to third parties, as required. Entry in this competition is conditional on provision of the personal information requested. Entries may be entered into a database and the Promoter may use the entrants’ names and addresses for future promotional, marketing and publicity in various forms by the Promoter, and the entrant consents to such use. Entrants may direct any request to access their personal information to the Promoter. Additionally, all literary works submitted as part of an entry become the property of the Promoter and it is a condition of entry that those literary works may be used by the Promoter for their own promotional, marketing and publicity purposes without restriction. The promoter may share the entry details with the prize provider.
The Promoter reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the competition without notice.
The Promoter is not liable for any loss (including loss of opportunity) or damage (including, but not limited to, direct, indirect or inconsequential loss) or personal injury in relation to this competition or the use of, or participation in, the prize.
Terms and conditions of any prize tickets must be adhered to. Some events have age restrictions and these must also be adhered to.
Prizes can only be sent to addresses in Australia and any tickets are only valid in or from Australia.
These Terms & Conditions will bind this and any future entry by you into a competition on an Australian Traveller Media site and may be updated from time to time.
It’s a small act with a big impact – your vote matters!
From the unmistakable garble of magpies to the colourful flash of rainbow lorikeets, Australia’s native birds are as vibrant as the country they call home. To spotlight our often-underappreciated Aves, The Guardian and Birdlife Australia have teamed up to bring you the nation’s most charming wildlife competition, and your vote counts.
Australian Bird of the Year explained
Originally launched in 2017 and held every two years since, the Australian Bird of the Year competition is a celebration of our birds, one of the country’s most unique wildlife species. But it also serves a deeper purpose – to highlight the importance of our native bird species and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing environment.
Rainbow lorikeets are one of Australia’s most recognisable birds. (Image: Getty/Matthew Starling)
Australia is home to roughly 850 native bird species. A significant portion of those are also endemic, meaning they cannot be found anywhere else on the planet – mainly due to Australia’s geographical isolation.
The troubling news? Under the government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, 22 native bird species are already completely extinct, with 77 classified as vulnerable, more than any other species on the list. Over 65 are listed as endangered and 18 critically endangered, including some of the competition’s nominees.
The black cockatoo one of 77 species listed as vulnerable. (Image: Getty/Jeremy Edwards)
Take one of the previous Australian Bird of the Year winners. The swift parrot took out top spot in 2023 – and it’s no surprise. The endemic species, usually found in Tasmania, is one of just three migratory parrots on Earth. But it’s also critically endangered, with demographic studies predicting it could be completely extinct as soon as 2031.
Here’s how you can help – and vote!
We still have time to make a difference, and it really doesn’t take much. If you’re in a position to do so, Birdlife Australia accepts donations, which are funnelled into protecting endangered species, restoring habitats, building conservation partnerships and educating the public. Or you can volunteer your spare time to monitor birds, collect data and repair damaged habitats.
Birdlife Australia helps restore habitats for species like the splendid fairywren. (Image: Getty/Outback to Coast)
I get it though, we’re all busy. But just by voting for your favourite Australian Bird of the Year, you’re not only raising awareness, you’re also supporting an organisation that is working hard to save our native birdlife.
Voting is easy, too, and it’s open now! Simply head to The Guardian’s website, scroll through the list of this year’s candidates (which come with their own adorable photo and bio) and click the ‘vote’ button under your favourite.
Can’t pick just one? Yeah, me either. But don’t worry – polling refreshes daily, so you can vote for a different bird every day. At the end of each round, the five species with the fewest votes will be removed from the race, a bittersweet but necessary step to crown a winner.
At the time of writing, 2023’s runner-up, the tawny frogmouth, is in the lead with over 1000 votes. The black cockatoo is close behind, followed by the gang-gang cockatoo and willie wagtail, with the bush stone-curlew rounding out the top five. Other favourites include the kookaburra, galah, splendid fairywren and little penguin, which can be spotted across southern Australia.
The details
The 2025 Australian Bird of the Year competition runs from 6–15 October. Voting is free, with one vote allowed per day and tallies refreshed at midnight – no sign-in or registration required.
Just 10 bird species will enter the final round on 14 October, and vote tallies will no longer be visible. The poll officially closes at 6am on 15 October, with the winner announced on 16 October. If you miss it this year, the Australian Bird of the Year returns in 2027.
