Aussie Backyard Bird Count begins

Community members are encouraged to help celebrate National Bird Week by participating in the first ‘Aussie Backyard Bird Count’ held 20-26 October, inspiring residents to count bird species in their local area.

Participants are free to choose their Bird Count location, which may include their own backyards, local parks, playgrounds, and favourite green patches, with the chance to win a range of prizes.

Bird Week Co-ordinator Jack Walden said the Aussie Backyard Bird Count will be an annual event providing important insight in to how bird species are coping in the spaces we share.

“The goal of the week is for Australian bird counters to spot a total of 100, 000 birds, providing Birdlife Australia with important data to form a more detailed picture of the current state of Australian bird life,” he said.

Mr. Walden said the specifically designed Bird Count application had been released Friday 26 September, giving bird-lovers plenty of time to become familiar with its features before Bird Week.

“The app, featuring over 400 bird species, makes it easier to count all the birds in your favourite patch,” Mr. Walden said.

The Bird Count app will include a complete range of capabilities, including a ‘Bird ID’ option for the simple identification of bird species.

Sean Dooley, Editor of Australian Birdlife magazine, said this is an exciting citizen science project which will allow people from across the country to see first-hand the incredible diversity of birds we have in backyards.

“We are so lucky to share our backyard with a large number of amazing birds,” he said.

“Every Australian has their own unique experience with their local birds and for the first time the Aussie Backyard Bird Count will give bird lovers a wonderful overview of the numbers of birds in different parts of the country.”

This Aussie Backyard Bird Count has been developed after the success of similar events in America and the United Kingdom, which have received a large number of participants and bird species sightings.

The event forms part of the national celebrations for Bird Week 2014, with bird-focused events taking place across the country including art shows, bird walks, camps, and breakfasts with the birds.

To download the official Bird Count app, find out more information, or arrange your own Bird Week event, click here.

The below video highlights plants which attract small honey-eaters, insect-eaters, and seed-eaters. You might be lucky enough to spot them in your own backyard!

This article was published in the Surf Coast Times’  fortnightly Green the Coast column – 2 October, 2014 which can be accessed here.

Have you spotted any interesting birds lately? Do you know what species it was? We would love to hear about it!