Gang-gang cockatoo and tawny frogmouth not far behind as voters eliminate ibis – while a vocal bird family emerges as a favourite
Voting in the 2021 Guardian/BirdLife Australian bird of the year has been incredibly close so far, but the superb fairywren may be pulling away from the pack.
Voting starts afresh each day, with the bottom five birds eliminated at midnight, until only 10 birds of the original 50 are left for the final vote. Because votes are not cumulative, and fans of the eliminated birds must find a new favourite, it is hard to be certain that patterns will hold for the final rounds.