In Australia, songs of endangered birds are box office stars

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Two weeks after its release in early December, an album has just entered the top 5 best sellers in Australia. He is thus in front of Abba and Mariah Carey! It’s an unprecedented performance because the artists who perform here are not humans, but … birds. In total, 53 endangered species that must absolutely be listened to before their extinction. The album is titled Songs of disappearance, which in French means “sounds of disappearance”.

It was recorded by David Stewart, a wildlife specialist who has roamed the country for thirty years and has spent hours in the bush picking up unique tweets. Like that of the Gang-gang cockatoo, a red-headed cockatoo or the Satin Gardener, an all-black sparrow with a light blue eye and incredible song.

The idea arose out of a group of academics, musicians and conservationists who searched for a fun way to raise awareness among Australians. According to a study by Charles-Darwin University, one in six birds is now threatened with extinction in the country, mainly due to global warming. This represents 216 species out of nearly 1,300.

The report also indicates that 96 species are doing less well than ten years ago and should be classified in a higher threat category. Only the conservation status of 23 birds has improved and allows them to be removed from the list. The gigantic fires of 2019 and 2020, which destroyed much of their habitat, obviously made the situation worse. According to the NGO BirdLife, the number of endangered species has increased by 25% in Australia.

Australia still lags behind when it comes to environmental protection. At COP26 last month, Canberra refused to commit to a scheduled exit from coal as some 40 countries have done.
In Scott Morrison’s Conservative government, many politicians have close ties to the mining industry, not shutting down mines or power plants despite their contribution to the production of greenhouse gases.

With lip service, the country has nevertheless agreed to set itself a goal of carbon neutrality in 2050 but, at this stage, it is a date on a piece of paper, without a concrete support plan. This is why we must listen to these birds, say the defenders of the environment, and above all act so that they are not part of the past. Proceeds from sales of the album will be donated to the BirdLife project which defends wildlife in the face of climate change.


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