Eyes up in appreciation

Of all the 830 wonderful bird species that share our land, do you have a favourite? Voting in the Guardian/Birdlife Australia bird of the year poll, held every two years, will begin next Monday, 6 October.

Each day, the five birds with the fewest votes will be knocked out and the count begins again the next day. So if you feel strongly about the powerful owl, the blue wren or any other of our many feathered friends, have your vote and follow the tally count live on the Guardian’s website until the final days of voting, when the count will go dark until the winner is announced on Thursday 16 October. Illustration: Pete Cromer/The Guardian