Greater Shepparton City Council, Media Release, 30 September 2021

Greater Shepparton City Council and RiverConnect are inviting the community to join BirdLife, Australia’s annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count from 18-24 October 2021 and discover the birds sharing our local backyards, parks and reserves.

The welcome arrival of spring, additional daylight hours and warmer days invites birds to emerge from their winter hideaways. Common birds to look out for and count include the Superb Fairy-wren, Laughing Kookaburra and Noisy Miner. Residents are encouraged to count multiple times over the week for a duration of 20 minutes at a time. This is a COVIDSafe, family friendly activity that can be conducted in your backyard, favourite local park, or at a One Tree Per Child planting location.

Previous surveys saw a huge response from the Greater Shepparton community. There were 282 observers who participated in the bird count in 2020, submitting 581 checklists, more than doubling the previous year’s tally. Observers in 2020 counted birds for a combined duration of 180 hours and 27 minutes, recording a total of 20,364 individual birds, 145 species and 13 threatened species. Each year there has been an increase in participation and it is anticipated that this year will be no exception.

Greater Shepparton City Council has participated in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count since 2015. This data has provided a baseline for species distribution prior to the One Tree Per Child initiative which started in 2016. Council encourages residents to visit a One Tree Per Child revegetation site and observe the impact that planting native species has had on the presence of birds. Over 40 different revegetation sites have been created to date, and with the help of schools and the community, Greater Shepparton has planted more than 100,000 plants in these sites. By participating in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count annually, Council is able to identify trends relating to birds within our municipality, which helps us to understand the threats that birds face due to the climate emergency.

There is exceptional birdlife on offer in our region. Great birdwatching spots including Archers Field, Boulevard Bush Reserve, Kalinga Park, Kialla Green, Kialla Lakes, Tassicker Reserve, Lake Bartlett and Cussen Park.

“This is a great way to enjoy what nature has on offer in our region and to get involved in the conservation efforts. The Aussie Bird Count provides a great opportunity to enjoy the positive impacts the One Tree Per Child initiative has had on rejuvenating food and habitat plants for birds. Everyone can enjoy participating and enjoying what we have on our own front door step, we have so many beautiful specifies of birds native to Australia and this is a fun way to take part” said Mayor, Cr Kim O’Keeffe.

To take part in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, all you need is 20 minutes, the Aussie Bird Count app or website form on aussiebirdcount.org.au.

Once counts have been submitted, participants will be able to see the number of birds and species being counted nearby and right across Australia, with real-time updates on the Aussie Backyard Bird Count app and website.

Join one of Australia’s largest citizen science projects and join the conversation with #AussieBirdCount