
Birds in Backyard
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Birds in Backyards is a research, education and conservation program of BirdLife Australia focused on the birds that live where people live. Get involved by becoming a member and taking part in our online surveys. Learn how you can create bird-friendly spaces in your garden and local community. Find out more about Australian birds and their habitats.
Birds in Backyard
3M ago
Submitted by Holly on 12 Nov 2024.
Spring is a season of new life – and heralds not only the breeding season for many of birds, but also migratory movements of some of our most beloved, (and some of our most controversial) species. We had 1327 surveys come in from 523 gardens across Australia for the Birds in Backyards spring survey period – with 323 different bird species seen.
Here’s a closer look at some fascinating migratory species that spring survey participants saw in their backyards this spring (September and October).
1. Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
Where to Spot: Across ..read more
Birds in Backyard
6M ago
Submitted by Holly on 27 Aug 2024.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the winter 2024 bird surveys! Whether you're a seasoned birdwatcher or new to the team, your participation is critical to understanding the birds that live where we live. Let’s dive into some of the fascinating trends we saw this winter, with some surprising shifts and exciting breeding activity.
National Highlights: Australian Magpies on Top!
This winter’s surveys brought in some incredible data from across the country. Topping the list as the most frequently observed bird was the Australian Magpie with a rep ..read more
Birds in Backyard
6M ago
Submitted by Holly on 20 Aug 2024.
The team at Federation University is excited to invite you to participate in new citizen science project, “The Litter Bird-en” (Ethics application 2024/143).
Why Litter Matters to Birdlife
Litter (i.e. man-made debris, rubbish, garbage, trash), poses a significant threat to wildlife, especially birds. Birds can ingest litter, become entangled in it, or use it as nesting and breeding material. To better understand these interactions in Australia, we need your help!
How You Can Help
Federation University is calling on citizen scientists to photo ..read more
Birds in Backyard
8M ago
Submitted by Holly on 03 Jul 2024.
University of Sydney Honours student Liam Doherty has just completed his thesis looking at the potential for different types of artificial hollows (aka not the traditional timber nest boxes) to provide habitat for Gang-gang Cockatoos. This research was funded by the NSW Twitchathon and done in collaboration with BirdLife Australia and Campbelltown City Council. Liam writes:
The loss of mature trees and the tree hollows that form in them has become a major concern in urban areas, especially in remnant bushland. This critical habitat infrastructur ..read more
Birds in Backyard
8M ago
Submitted by Holly on 17 Jun 2024.
We're happy to be hosting an art creation webinar on 26th June.
Use this link to register for the event.
Download and print this image before the event, or have it open on another screen while guest artist Jane Rusden guides us through the work.
  ..read more
Birds in Backyard
9M ago
Submitted by Holly on 07 Jun 2024.
We can sometimes think that our garden visitors are the same day in and day out. But even taking a look at the Top 10 list from Birds in Backyards this Autumn, we see some major changes compared to our common Summer birds.
Here’s a snapshot of the top 10 species and their reporting rates (% of times they were seen in surveys) - out of a whopping 290 different species sighted:
Species
Reporting Rate (%)
Rainbow Lorikeet
39.1
Australian Magpie
33.85
Magpie-lark
33.67
Brown Honeyeater
25.43
Noisy Miner
23.71
Australian Raven
23.44
S ..read more
Birds in Backyard
1y ago
Submitted by Holly on 27 Feb 2024.
It's been high drama for the Powerful Owls of the Greater Sydney Basin in 2023. Our Powerful Owl Project has witnessed rescues, adoption, and a stronger rate of fledging for youn owlets after a very challenging 2022.
You can read more about what the Project has been up to in this PDF.
Image by Simon Zhou ..read more
Birds in Backyard
1y ago
Submitted by Holly on 27 Feb 2024.
BirdLife Australia often advises on laws and regulations that may impact wildlife. We work in consultation with communities, researchers and regulators to take holistic approaches to complex issues. We’ve invited Nell Thompson, an industry expert, to share insight into the nuances of domestic cat management in Australia.
If you're like me, adages such as, ‘know which way the wind blows’, ‘all roads lead to Rome’ or even ‘walk in others’ shoes’, don’t mean anything… until they do. A common saying that I am reminded of daily in my work is ‘perfec ..read more
Birds in Backyard
1y ago
Submitted by Holly on 23 Feb 2024.
Birds in Backyards recently co-supervised Genevieve Heggarty as she undertook a research project to tackle the question of what determines whether small birds, like Superb Fairy-wrens, can survive in urban areas. Genevieve shares her findings here.
Superb Fairy-wrens were once one of the most common birds found in Sydney. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, we have noticed a substantial decline in their numbers. There is a strong desire from the community to get these birds back into our backyards. As such, this charismatic Australian icon is o ..read more
Birds in Backyard
1y ago
Submitted by Holly on 23 Feb 2024.
Thanks to everyone who has taken part in our Birds in Backyards surveys for the Summer period! You’re helping us build a long-term dataset of species patterns across the country.
We recorded 271 species in Birds in Backyards surveys this summer, across 845 surveys. That’s a total of 26,335 birds that were counted.
The table below shows us the most frequently recorded species, with reporting rate, or the percentage of surveys in which that species was seen, given to the right.
Common Name
Reporting Rate
Rainbo ..read more