Magpie Wins Over Bin Chicken in 2017's Bird of the Year Poll

The greatest upset since Guy Sebastian won Australian Idol over Shannon Noll.

In case you've been living under a rock for the past month or so, there's been a fierce competition over who will win The Guardian's Bird of the Year poll. Australia's favourite birds have been pitted against one another and for a good few weeks, it was looking likely that the ibis a.k.a. the bin chicken was very likely to take the crown.

But in a surprise upset as big as Trump beating Clinton or Sebastian winning over Noll, the magpie has swooped in to take the title for itself.

The Australian Magpie has been named the @BirdlifeOz 2017 #BirdOfTheYear! See the top 10 tally pic.twitter.com/bZBM9h0PuF

— News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) December 10, 2017

Yes, those horrible birds who are objectively evil and pick at the scalps of innocent bicycle riders have beat out the bin chicken despite its recent embrace by the Australian public.

Understandably, not everyone is stoked that the bird of our night terrors has somehow tricked everyone into voting for it. 

have we no decency

— Harley Comrie (@HarleyComrie) December 10, 2017

i've never been swooped by an ibis... #BirdOfTheYear

— maddison connaughton (@madconnaughton) December 10, 2017

The magpie’s strategy for winning #BirdOfTheYear, engaging with voters pic.twitter.com/asyhHnIpLq

— Mike (@bikeymikey70) December 10, 2017

If anything this #BirdOfTheYear results show that we do not deserve democracy. We are stupid and make poor choices every time.

— Charlotte Kennedy-Cox (@tibbletwins2) December 10, 2017

Spotted: birds drowning their sorrows after #birdoftheyear upset pic.twitter.com/cQpOklPunV

— Farz Edraki (@FarzEdraki) December 10, 2017

Don't worry bin chook, there's always next year.

Photo: iStock.com/CraigRJD / iStock.com/VMJones