Backyard birds survey success -- but who is getting clucky?

13 August, 2001

Our feathered suburban neighbours received a helping hand from over 800 volunteers in November last year. These people took part in the inaugural Birds In Backyards community survey funded by Birds Australia.

While there were a number of birds which are urban survivors, one introduced species, the Common Myna was the most successful of all those observed, found in over 80% of backyards. The project also highlighted the potentially bad influence of a native honeyeater, the Noisy Miner.

“Those gardens with the aggressive Noisy Miner in them tended to not have any smaller native birds like the Superb Fairy-Wren in them,” according to Dr Kristine French of the University of Wollongong.

Most of the birds observed were also very selective about the types of gardens that they spent their time in, preferring native plants and trees to introduced ones. Therefore, the project has been able to make a number of recommendations about how to encourage birds into backyards. However, the Birds in Backyards group do not know all that they wish to about our suburban birds.

The focus in spring of 2001 is the birds not only visiting but also breeding in our neighbourhoods. Like the first survey, volunteers are asked to have a look in their backyards for any evidence of breeding birds. But this survey has been broadened to also ask people to examine a range of other areas including their street, school, favourite park or patch of bush if they wish. Dr Richard Major from the Australian Museum, said: “Areas in which birds are not breeding tells us just as much as where they are breeding.”

“The success of the project last year definitely hinged on getting so many enthusiastic members of the public involved,” said Project Co-ordinator Holly Parsons. “This year it is even more vital that we find as many people as possible from throughout Sydney, Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra regions,” she said.

The project requires the participants to look in their survey area once every couple of weeks for around 20 minutes throughout spring. If they find a nest, the volunteers are asked to monitor it.

To register for the project or to find out more information contact Holly Parsons on (02) 4221 3436 or email backyardbirds@uow.edu.au

Information and survey forms will also soon be available at http://snag.birdsaustralia.com.au/