BirdLife Australia kicked off December with an ambitious but curious goal, setting their sights on dethroning Michael Bublé from his Christmas throne, and making their album of bird sounds sit high in the ARIA charts.

Now, less than 10 days from Christmas, the album has accomplished their mission, sitting at number five on the ARIA albums list. 

The album, titled ‘Songs of Disappearance’, which was compiled in conjunction with The Bowerbird Collective features bird calls captured singing in their environment, all with a noble mission to raise awareness of a much deeper issue. 

BirdLife Australia Executive Officer David Stewart said that the album is an opportunity to involve the public in saving some of Australia’s most threatened bird species. 

“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,” Mr Sullivan said. 

While getting in the festive season is easiest achieved by singing along to the Mariah Carey classics, ‘Songs of Disappearance’ is an initiative to put forward a more important kind of song in the national consciousness over Christmas. 

According to BirdLife Australia, over 50 of Australia’s most beloved birds are growing increasingly scarce, threatened with extinction by habitat destruction and ongoing issues with climate change. 

When the ARIA albums list revealed that the album had flown into the pop charts this week, ahead of ABBA and Michael Bublé and landing at number five, it was a testament to public commitment to the cause. 

The album sits amongst big industry players, following mega-artists Taylor Swift, Paul Kelly, Ed Sheeran, and Adele.

“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,” Mr Sullivan said. 

The album release follows a scientific study led by Birdlife Australia and Stephen Garnett of Charles Darwin University. The research discovered that 1 in 6 species of birds in Australia are in imminent danger due to climate change.