THE Aussie Backyard Bird Count is back!

This project involves citizen scientists counting the birds that they see and identify in a 20 minute period between 17 and 23 October, 2022.

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Over 100,000 citizen scientists participated in last year’s count.

The results give insight into changes in the environment, prevalence of species and regions.

The Aussie Backyard Bird Count started eight years ago and over that time there have been many changes in the top ten birds seen.

Notedly the Indian Minor has reduced its ranking and the ever popular ‘Bin Chicken’, AKA the Ibis, has risen into the top ten.

It is thought that the ibis numbers have increased on the coast due to the drought causing a migration.

In NSW in 2021, the top three birds counted were the Rainbow Lorikeet, Noisy Minor and Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, with just under five million birds counted over the survey period.

A Birdlife Australia spokesperson said, “Collecting a huge dataset like the one we get from the Aussie Bird Count is only possible thanks to you.

“The vast amount of data collected from citizen science programs like the Aussie Bird Count fills a knowledge gap, particularly on urban bird species, and gives us access to areas we usually wouldn’t be able to survey, like your backyard!

“As well as helping ecologists track large-scale biodiversity trends like these, it also gives people the chance to connect with their natural environment and gain a greater appreciation of our unique fauna.”

You can register to participate at www.aussiebirdcount.org.au.

By Marian SAMPSON