Kookaburra and magpie among Australian birds in decline, says report

State of Australia's Birds report finds common birds as well as lesser-known species have suffered surprising drops in numbers

Some of Australia's best-known birds, including the magpie, the kookaburra and the willie wagtail, are in decline in parts of the country, a major government-funded survey has found.

The State of Australia's Birds report found common birds, as well as lesser-known species, have suffered surprising drops in their numbers, in what has been described as a "wake-up call" for bird conservation.