Backyard bird count opens

BirdLife Australia introduces the inaugural Backyard Bird Count to celebrate the upcoming National Bird Count.

More than a century after the first National Bird Week in Australia, the weeklong event designed to inspire avian conservation returns October 20-26.

This year’s event, which is run by not-for-profit BirdLife Australia, will include the inaugural Aussie Backyard Bird Count. Using the companion smartphone app, members of the public are encouraged to record the species they spot within a 20-minute stint in any green space.

Organisers aim to record 100,000 bird sightings over the seven days, which would make for the biggest citizen science project in Australia to date.

As part of National Bird Week, themed talks and walking tours will be held across the country including at Stirling Range National Park and the Western Port Biosphere Reserve in Victoria.