Conspiracy theories and celebrity endorsements: how bird of the year played out online

The white ibis provoked strong feelings on Twitter throughout the three-week campaign, and the result was never going to please everyoneThe three-week campaign to select Australia's bird of the year has been bitterly fought out on social media, and Monday's result provoked another round of celebration and recriminations.Swooping in with an incredible 19,926 votes, of a total of almost 150,000, the Australian magpie took the title, having quietly gained ground over the white ibis (19,083), which had a commanding early lead. Continue reading...