How bird friendly is your garden?

18-November-2002

People living in the Illawarra region are being asked to help in a study to determine which shrubs are the most important providers of food to birds visiting suburban gardens.

The study, which has now begun, will compare the insects living on native and introduced shrubs as food for birds. This will enable local residents to determine which plants should be planted to sustain the highest diversity of birds in suburban gardens.

Project manager and PhD student, Holly Parsons, said suburban gardens were becoming increasingly important for the survival of many bird species, as their native habitat was being removed and degraded at an alarming rate. Working with Ms Parsons on the project are Dr Kris French from UOW's Department of Biological Sciences and Dr Richard Major, of the Australian Museum.

"Our gardens are distinctly different from natural bushland, and while some native bird species have adapted well to life in the suburbs, many birds, particularly the small insectivores, are only occasional visitors. Therefore we need to understand how we can make our gardens more attractive to a wide variety of species, ''Dr French said.

According to Dr Major there are a wide variety of birds whose diet consists, at least partially, of insects, from the little Superb Fairy-wren to Wattlebirds, Noisy Miners and Magpies. What we really need to know is, how often are different birds using particular shrubs and gardens and how much insect food is available to them on different types of plants.

"Whether the garden is mostly native or exotic might alter the types of insects that are found there and even a few native shrubs in a primarily exotic garden may provide a good insect resource for birds ­ we just don't know," Ms Parsons said.

The research team says the project will not be successful without the assistance of at least 70 Illawarra residents. They need the help of residents with either a mostly native garden or mostly exotic garden ­ and that have any of the following plants ­ Camellias, Azaleas, Banksia integrifolia (Coast Banksia), Melaleuca armillaris (Bracelet Honey Myrtle) or red large-flowering Grevilleas.

Residents will be asked to fill out a simple survey of the birds in their garden for five days before the insect sampling and then allow Ms Parsons to collect insect samples from an individual plant for about one hour. Insect collection will involve no insecticides or damage to the plant.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Holly Parsons on (02) 4221 3436 (PhD student room, Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong), or email backyardbirds@uow.edu.au