2020 Garden Bird Survey

Birds are important indicators of the health of New Zealand’s environment, and taking part in the Garden Bird Survey helps give scientists a picture of how our feathered friends are doing.

Take part in this citizen science project.

The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey is an annual citizen science project which has been led by scientists at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, one of New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes, for the last 14 years. This year the survey runs from June 27 to July 5, 2020. Taking part in the Garden Bird Survey involves spending an hour over the survey period counting the native and non-native bird species in your garden, or in a local park or reserve, and recording the highest number of each species seen at any one time.

To take part, go to landcareresearch.co.nz where there are numerous resources, including printable tally sheets with helpful ID pics of the birds most likely to visit your garden (or use the pics of the birds featured over the next few pages). Once you have done the count, you submit your results online and the surveys are analysed by Manaaki Whenua scientists.

Manaaki Whenua research associate Dr Eric Spurr initiated this nationwide citizen science project to monitor changes in the population and distribution of garden birds. Year on year, the data collected has revealed interesting and important trends in bird species abundance, but the more people who take part, the clearer and more detailed the national picture becomes. The hope this year is to see participation increase – partially because the recent lockdown seems to be driving a surge of interest in birds. Dr Colin Miskelly, from Birds New Zealand, says the digital encyclopaedia New Zealand Birds Online, launched seven years ago, had its busiest month ever in April, with more than 100,000 people visiting the site, an increase of more than 40 per cent on March.

“The species that people are seeking information on are mainly native bird species that occur in cities, with the top three being fantail, tu¯¯i and morepork.”

But while people might be noticing more birds, Colin thinks it’s people – rather than birds – who have changed their behaviour.

“I have noticed morepork calling more frequently from my home in Mt Cook, Wellington during the lockdown. They are always here, but with less traffic noise and sirens, they were easier to hear.”

Eric has also heard of people reporting seeing more birds around than usual or spotting a species in their neighbourhood they had not seen before.

“I have seen reports of people seeing fantails in Lambton Quay and rock pigeon occupying the partially constructed convention centre in Christchurch. So birds are distributing through the environment differently, occupying places where humans usually dominate. But I think a big factor in people seeing more birds is just people spending more time outside. With the garden bird survey, year after year, people tell me that it was not until they actually stopped and looked that they realised how many birds they had in their garden.”