Over the next week, hundreds of thousands of Australians will participate in an election like no other. In its fifth year, the Bird of the Year competition, hosted by Guardian Australia and BirdLife Australia, celebrates the richness and marvel of the nation’s native birds. Deputy editors Gabrielle Jackson and Patrick Keneally, along with BirdLife Australia’s Sean Dooley, speak to Reged Ahmad about the controversies of past elections, the significance of this poll, and which bird they plan to vote for.