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Endangered Bird Calls Claw Their Way Up Australia’s Music Charts

Proving that they are no featherweights when it comes to support from the Australian public, 53 of Australia’s most threatened avian species have flown into the pop charts, screeching ahead of the likes of Abba and Michael Bublé.


Becoming the highest selling Independent record, the birds have well and truly made their mark. ‘Songs of Disappearance’ has well and truly beaten expectations, reaching #1 in the Australian music charts!

Released by Birdlife Australia, the album coincided with a report on the impact of climate change on threatened species, with the album available across digital platforms and to purchase from songsofdisappearance.com. Bird enthusiasts from around the country flocked together to support the project.

Compiled in conjunction with The Bowerbird Collective and featuring recordings by renowned wildlife documenter David Stewart, among others, the album flew off shelves around the country, with Tweets flying and bird lovers egging each other on to support a much bigger cause.

“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.”

‘Songs of Disappearance’ features bird calls captured by eminent nature recordist David Stewart, Nature Sound, as well as a three-minute compilation of all the species on the album creating a magical chorus of rare birdsong unlike anything heard before.

The release of ‘Songs of Disappearance’ follows a once-in-a-decade scientific study led by Birdlife Australia and Stephen Garnett of Charles Darwin University, with input from more than 300 bird experts, which discovered that 1 in 6 (216 out of 1,299) species of birds in Australia are in imminent danger due to climate change – up from 195 in 2011.

Climate change has emerged as a dire threat to Australian wildlife, as comprehensive surveys from around the continent continue to reveal how animals are feeling the full weight of this global issue.

‘Songs of Disappearance’ is available on CD and digital download now here.

Header image: Artwork by Mervyn Street, Mangkaja Arts