Dying art of bird calling roars back at 2026 Bournda Bird Olympics
Clasp your hands and purse those lips; the kids from the bush are back, mastering the noble art of competitive bird calling.
The 2026 Bournda Bird Olympics, hosted in Merimbula on the NSW far south coast, requires students to mimic the calls of native Australian birds.
Over the course of an hour, 40 children impersonated the sounds of kookaburras, Australian ravens and yellow-tailed black cockatoos, all in the hopes of being crowned best bird caller.
But at its core, the event is about appreciating nature.
"It's all about fostering interest and engagement in the natural environment," judge Bob Harris said.
"Anything we do in that respect has got to be a positive."
Students are required to mimic the sound of a native Australian bird. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
It is the ninth time the event has been held by the Bournda Environmental Education Centre.
Most of the schools competing were based on the NSW far south coast, including Tathra, Bega, Pambula, Wyndham, Central Tilba and Wolumla.
This year was the first time a school from the NSW Snowy Mountains competed, with students from Nimmitabel Public School making a solid debut.
Principal Rosie Allen said six students had been training for two months in the lead-up to the event.
The whole school, consisting of just 13 students, travelled over an hour to the coast to cheer them on.
"Every single one of our students loves birds … so we just decided it would be great to be a part of this," Ms Allen said.
"They've all been practising in the playground, so during playtime you'll hear lots of bird calls, which has been a lot of fun."
Competitors showed courage and concentration when making their bird calls. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
Brave bird callers
The calls produced by the students were nothing short of impressive, making the job of deciding a winner more difficult.
The judges took into account the accuracy of each bird, technique and tone, but also creativity and courage.
Mr Harris admitted it was difficult to decide.
"A lot of the scores come in fairly close together," Mr Harris said.
"That's the most difficult thing about judging this; the rest of it is a very enjoyable process."
This year's winner was Tathra Public School.
Tathra Public School won the 2026 Bournda Bird Olympics. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
For Bruce Chapman, who competed as a bird caller in the 1950s, seeing the students revive the lost art of bird calling has been a joy.
He hoped it would continue to grow in the future.
"It is great to see the youngsters in school are involved in birds and nature," Mr Chapman said.
"There are quite a lot of teams here this year, and it's gratifying to see them getting involved with the birds and seeing what's around us.
"I'd like to see every school involved."
Nimmitabel Public School made their debut at this years' competition. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)
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