QBE helps birdlife bounce back with Birds for Good initiative

QBE Australia has today announced a total of $12,173.95 has been raised through its annual Birds for Good campaign, which will go towards amplifying the wildlife conservation efforts of partner, Taronga Conservation Society Australia (Taronga).

Each year, the campaign focuses on a different bird-related theme to highlight the importance of conserving birdlife. Following the unprecedented and catastrophic bushfires of 2019-2020, QBE elected to dedicate this year’s campaign to helping ‘Birdlife Bounce Back’.

It is estimated that more than 180 million birds were killed in the recent bushfires, including threatened species such as the Regent Honeyeater, Eastern Bristlebirds and Glossy Black Cockatoos. With the loss of these populations and their habitats, the scale of the wildlife crisis in Australia is devastating.

The Birds for Good campaign ran throughout the month of October with the insurer pledging to match all public donations made at the QBE Free-flight Bird Show at Taronga Zoo Sydney. This October, visitors to the popular attraction donated $6,086.97, taking the total amount raised to $12,173.95 once matched dollar-for-dollar by QBE.

All proceedings will be directed towards the Taronga Foundation and will help fund important projects including Taronga’s breeding efforts and restoring resilient landscapes for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater, one of Taronga’s eleven legacy species which it is dedicating the next decade to help conserve.

QBE’s Chief Marketing Officer, Sara Foale, said the Birds for Good campaign is a great way for the insurer to contribute towards the vital conservation efforts undertaken by Taronga’s dedicated staff, scientists and researchers, which is even more critical in the wake of last summer’s devastating bushfires.

“The Black Summer bushfires were devastating for Australia’s wildlife, with many birds, animals, and their natural habitat destroyed. We’re incredibly proud of our 15-year partnership with the Taronga Conservation Society and have huge respect for the work they do. We’re pleased that, once again, the iconic QBE Free-flight Bird Show proved to be a huge success and we were able to match the generous donations made by the show’s visitors.”

Cameron Kerr, Director and CEO of Taronga said: “We are very grateful to QBE for its continued support of our critical conservation work. Taronga has been at the forefront of the response to Australia’s bushfire crisis, providing emergency shelter, medical care and rehabilitation for displaced and injured wildlife.

"There is much to be done, but with Taronga’s drive and expertise and the support of partners like QBE, we remain hopeful that together we can ensure that Australian wildlife has a fighting chance.”

For more information:

Sarah Bond
Senior External Communications Specialist
QBE Australia Pacific
Phone: +61 466 028 302
Email: sarah.bond@qbe.com