The week of 17-23 October will see Australians looking upwards for a good cause – BirdLife Australia’s annual Aussie Bird Count.
By participating in this year’s Count, Aussies can help BirdLife Australia uncover new information about native parrots, with existing data flagging concerns for our much-loved, bright-coloured birds.
The Aussie Bird Count is the nation’s largest conservation event and encourages people of all ages to spend just 20 minutes in their favourite outdoor space, counting birds sighted in that period.
It can be done from anywhere – a suburban backyard, a local park, a patch of forest, down by the beach, or the main street of town.
Yearly data collected since the onset of the Count in 2014 has given BirdLife Australia solid insight into how Australian parrots are faring.
However, existing data poses questions about the future of vibrant native parrots, including the Eastern Rosella and the Australian Ringneck.
BirdLife Australia’s national public affairs manager, Sean Dooley, says there is an urgent need for new bird data due to inconsistent trends across the nation, particularly amongst parrots.
“In Greater Sydney, the reporting rates of the Eastern Rosella have seen a sharp decline. There are also concerns about the Australian Ringneck showing a steep decline across Greater Perth,” he says.
“However, we’ve seen an increase in numbers of the Red-rumped parrot in the ACT, and the Australian King parrot across Melbourne.
“Participation in this year’s Count will enable bird experts to understand more about state-based trends, identify if these trends are continuing for declining species, and help us determine the reasons for the declines,” Mr Dooley says.
Taking count at the same time each year provides BirdLife Australia a snapshot of how Aussie birds are faring, which in turn helps gauge the overall health of the environment – think of birds as a barometer of nature.
“We’d love to see Aussies of all ages from each and every state and territory get involved,” Mr Dooley says.
“The more people we have counting across the week, the more data we have so we can learn more about how parrots are faring, and to help protect them for future generations.”
Over $10,000 worth of prizes are being given away as part of this year’s count. For more information on the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, visit aussiebirdcount.org.au
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