David Stewart, whose life’s work consisted of recording sounds of Australian birds for many decades, has died in Albany Creek. Along with the Bowerbird Collective, he is the man behind the recordings of 53 native birds facing extinction, used in Songs of Disappearance, an album that contains nothing but birdsong that beat Abba, Michael Buble, and Mariah Carey, reaching No. 5 in Australia’s Aria chart one week after its release.
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Mr Stewart, who had been living in a retirement village in Albany Creek, was critically injured after losing control of his vehicle during a drive through the suburb in August. His car struck a fence, and he was rushed to Royal Brisbane Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he later passed away surrounded by family.
For decades, Mr Stewart devoted his life to recording, preserving, and sharing the sounds of Australia’s birdlife. His contributions have been instrumental in both ornithological research and in helping Australians connect with their natural heritage through sound.
From the 1960s through the 1980s, while working with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Mr Stewart traveled widely across remote parts of Australia. In his spare time, he compiled extensive tick lists of species encountered in Cape York, Arnhem Land, and the Kimberley.
His transition to digital recording in the 1990s raised the quality of his library, allowing him to re-record species he had first taped on cassettes.
Some of his rarest and most cherished recordings include the call of the female Plains-wanderer, captured just half a metre away in 1982, and the flight call of the endangered Princess Parrot recorded along the remote Canning Stock Route. These painstakingly collected sounds, often achieved after days of waiting in the field, underscored his reputation as one of Australia’s most dedicated wildlife sound recordists.
His recordings have become part of the national soundscape, from the Stewart Australian Bird Calls app, containing more than 3,800 meticulously catalogued calls from 725 species and subspecies, complete with maps and sonograms, to the bestselling album Australian Bird Calls: Songs of Disappearance.
Over more than forty years, the calls of 53 native bird species have been collected for an album designed to raise both money and awareness for species at risk of extinction. The album—made up entirely of birdsong—has climbed near the top of Australia’s ARIA charts, surpassing the likes of Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, and ABBA to secure a place in the top five just a week after its release.
Indeed, his works have played vital roles in conservation awareness by bringing the voices of threatened species to a wider public.
His death marks the end of a remarkable life dedicated to listening, recording, and preserving the sounds of Australia’s birdlife. Widely regarded as a trailblazer in bioacoustics, his decades of work helped transform ornithological research and gave everyday Australians new ways to connect with nature.
Birds Queensland paid tribute to Mr Stewart, describing his life as “a symphony of curiosity, care, and deep listening—to nature, and to those around him.” Fellow birding enthusiasts also remembered him as a generous mentor and a friend whose knowledge and dedication reshaped fieldwork practices across Australia and beyond.
Long-time friend and journalist Greg Roberts, who shared news of his passing, said Mr Stewart’s contributions to bird and wildlife acoustics were “ground-breaking” and would be remembered for generations.
Although his influence reached far beyond Brisbane, Mr Stewart’s final years in Albany Creek connected him closely to the northside community. Locals who may have walked the same leafy streets might not have known that a man who had dedicated his life to amplifying the voices of Australia’s birds was among them.
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I will remember him as a terrific birder and a very memorable character. Much of his quirky advice sticks with me to this day. It was thoroughly enjoyable birding with him at the Dunmore Road site west of Toowoomba in 2021 and an honour to be given a glimpse of his extremely vast catalogue of recordings in his home soon after. I suspected he must have been a person of prodigal talent to have done what he did. Very tragic news to hear of his passing and I lament that we did not do more birding together.
- Tyber Brands
I had the pleasure many years ago to spend time with David Stewart at Melaleuca when he recorded Orange-bellied Parrot calls. One of his recordings, “feeding and flight calls”, immortalised in Michael Morcombe’s eGuide to the Birds of Australia, was a dozen of so male OBPs at the feedtable near Deny King’s garden. If you listen carefully, you can hear their feet pattering on the rubber mat as they chase each other around the table. I’ve always thought of David and these great times when I hear this recording. Vale David.
- Mark Holdsworth
Stunned to learn of the loss of David Stewart. We shared many an hour over a “jaw” as he put it and, along with Don Kroodsma, superb days in the field together. A superb fellow memories of whom I will always carry.
- Greg Budney
As tributes flow from conservationists, researchers, and bird lovers worldwide, Albany Creek residents are quietly reflecting on the presence of a global figure who spent his last chapter in their neighbourhood—listening, as he always had, to the songs of the natural world.
Published 9-September-2025