BirdLife Australia is calling on all Australians to join tens of thousands of others taking part in this year’s Aussie Bird Count. 

Now in its eleventh year, the national Aussie Bird Count is one of Australia’s biggest and most beloved citizen science events – and all you need to get involved is your phone.

From October 14th to the 20th, you are invited to take part, and all you need is your phone. You can do this from anywhere: your backyard, go on a hike, visit a park or a wetland… It’s a great excuse for anyone of any age to go outside and get to know the birds we share our space with.

“Last year, over 60,000 people counted more than 3.5 million birds ‒ but we’re hoping this year might be our biggest yet,” said Sean Dooley, BirdLife Australia’s “chief bird nerd” and Senior Public Relations Advisor.

“We know that people in Lismore area love their birds. We had a great turnout last year, with over 500 surveys submitted. But we would love to see even more people getting involved this year. Sean has provided an annual snapshot of how our birds are faring.

“There have been some surprises along the way with the Australian White Ibis (aka the Bin Chicken) breaking into the national top ten while the notorious introduced common Myna has slipped down the rankings. So far, the Rainbow Lorikeet has reigned supreme as Australia’s most frequently counted bird year after year.

(Galah Image credit: Georgina Steytler and Laughing Kookaburra, Image credit: Chris Tzaros)

In the Northern Rivers, some of these figures are a little different.  

“Two out of three people saw rainbow lorikeets, which fits with the national results as rainbow lorikeets have consistently been the most commonly seen bird around Australia.

“It's really special to see Lewin's Honeyeater in the top ten in Lismore. It doesn't rank that highly in many other parts of Australia. It shows how connected Lismore is with the rainforests nearby, and that's something Lismore can be very proud of.

“It's also really pleasing to see Eastern Rosellas in the top ten in Lismore. There are some concerns that this species could be in decline in New South Wales.”

It’s these types of discoveries that make this an important exercise.

The top 10 most commonly seen birds in the Northern Rivers in 2023 were (in order):

1. Rainbow Lorikeet

2. Noisy Miner

3. Australian Magpie

4. Pied Currawong

5. Lewin's honeyeater

6. Laughing kookaburra

7. Torresian Crow

8. Crested Pigeon

9. Eastern Rosella

10 Australian White Ibis

(Welcome swallows and a damp New Holland Honeyeater. Image credit: Georgina Steytler)

Sean advocates the count for many reasons: “As well as the bird numbers it gives us, people tell us every year about how much they love taking part in the Aussie Bird Count. People of all ages genuinely enjoy spending 20 minutes watching birds because it’s a relaxing and rewarding thing to do. Parents and grandparents love doing Aussie Bird Counts with their kids, and last year, we had over 800 schools participate.” 

“Having the Aussie Bird Count app to guide you means you don’t have to be a bird expert to join in the fun. People love it and feel great knowing their sightings are going to BirdLife Australia who are working hard to conserve Australian birds and their habitats.

“We’re looking to see what the next ten years will mean to the birds around us – what changes will we see?”

To take part in this year’s Aussie Bird Count, register at www.aussiebirdcount.org.au and download BirdLife Australia’s free Aussie Bird Count app. From this Monday, the 14th to the 20th of October, spend 20 minutes in one spot watching birds, using the super-easy app to count them.

“This year we would love people to get their friends and family involved. Get your flock together for a count. We know you’ll love getting to know the birds right on your doorstep.”