Geelong residents have the chance to participate in one of Australia’s biggest citizen science initiatives and engage in a little amateur ornithology when the 10th annual Aussie Bird Count kicks off this month.
Running from October 16 to 22, the Aussie Bird Count invites members of the public to spend 20 minutes in their favourite outdoor spot – a park, waterside recreation area, or even their own backyard – observing and counting birds.
Participants can then record their findings using the Aussie Bird Count app, which also includes a built-in bird species finder tool, or the online web form.
BirdLife Australia public affairs manager Sean Dooley said the Geelong region was a hugely important contributor to the bird count.
“Of any local government area in Victoria, the Greater Geelong Council actually has the highest bird diversity of any other shire or city,” Mr Dooley said.
“More species have been recorded over the years in general than anywhere else in Victoria. The local government area is actually just situated in just a really special spot when it comes to birds.”
Mr Dooley said while records of bird life in areas like the You Yangs or Lake Connewarre were substantial, the Aussie Bird Count was important to gather information on the urban bird population.
“Where we have big gaps in our knowledge base is what birds are occurring in the parks and gardens and people’s backyards throughout the Greater Geelong area,” he said.
“There are a lot of birds that do turn up in places where people live. There are three or four species of lorikeet, which are nectar-feeding parrots, occuring in Geelong streets.
“Even at this time of year, you could get yellow-tailed black cockatoos on top of the normal galahs, sulphur-crested cockatoos and corellas, you know, yellow-tailed. You can also get gang-gang cockatoos in some parts of the year.
“So it’s just a fantastic area and it’s really rewarding for people to go out and suddenly realise what great birds they have in their neighbourhood.”
Visit aussiebirdcount.org.au for more information on how to participate in the Aussie Bird Count.
