Famous Aust bird numbers dwindle: report

Some of Australia's best-loved bird species are declining in numbers in some regions.

Birdlife Australia says its 2015 Australian birds report showing dwindling numbers of some common birds, like the willy wagtail, kookaburra and magpie-lark, should be a wake-up call.

"We've known for some time that many rare bird populations are declining, but we were not aware of the decline of these very common and iconic Australian birds," Birdlife Australia chief executive Paul Sullivan said in a statement on Wednesday.