Home Topics Wildlife The annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count is almost here

The annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count is almost here

Image credit: Douglas Cliff

THE GREAT Aussie Backyard Bird Count is back for its sixth year, and BirdLife Australia wants you to record all your backyard birdlife – from the brush turkey that renovates your backyard, to the sulphur-crested cockatoo perched on your fence.

This 21-27 October, during National Bird Week, it’s your chance to do your bit for citizen science by recording the resident avian population close to home.

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Each year, the Aussie Backyard Bird Count gives Australians the opportunity to contribute to a snapshot of Australian birdlife, as well as an ongoing insight into trends in our bird communities from year to year.

You don’t have to officially have a ‘backyard’ to take part – a local park, school yard or simply your favourite outdoor space, whether at the beach or in a national park, will do, as long as it’s in Australia. Simply stay put (within a 200m radius) for 20 minutes and note every bird you can identify during that time.

Last year, there were more than 76,918 participants and 2,751,113 birds were counted. Rainbow lorikeets came in at number one most-counted bird for the fifth consecutive year, with the noisy miner coming in second and the magpie third.

You can record the birds using the free Aussie Bird Count app, which is available through the Apple app store or Google Play or by filling out a form online. Find out more at by visiting the Aussie Backyard Bird Count website.

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