Urban sprawl has a huge impact on native birds. BirdLife Australia's Urban Bird Program protects birds and their habitats across our rapidly changing and expanding cities.
90% of Australians live in urban areas. It is where we have the biggest impact on nature.
Urbanisation is one of the most dramatic and rapidly expanding forms of man-made change to our landscapes. Urban spaces introduce predators, exotic plants and competitors to the native wildlife and change animal behaviour. This can spell disaster for native birds.
The Urban Birds Program is a series of initiatives that focus is saving birds and their habitat in Australia’s cities. Various initiatives are doing things like:
Birds in Schools is an environmental education project designed by BirdLife Australia and its Urban Birds Program. Available online through BirdLife Australia’s e-learning platform, Birds in Schools enables teachers right across Australia to deliver education and action for birds with support from BirdLife Australia.
Birds in Schools engages students in the scientific process by investigating and monitoring the birds and habitats in their school grounds. Students use their own observational skills and ideas to develop and implement action plans to help their local birdlife. Action plans may include:
The Urban Birds Program is at work in cities across Australia, researching, protecting and providing education about the urban birds that surround us. Many of our projects are helping to make a difference for birds in urban environments.
Urban Birds Conservation Action Plan (UBCAP): You can’t make a difference without a plan. With the UBCAP, we’ve identified the key threats faced by urban birds and prioritised certain conservation strategies.
You may not know it, but there’s a lot you can do for Australia's birds from the comfort of your own home — from creating a bird-friendly garden to submitting a seasonal survey — you can make a difference by taking action in your own backyard. Find out more about the Birds in Backyards project.
The 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires devastated Gang-gang Cockatoo habitat. Subsequently, because of their diminished numbers, the Gang-gang Cockatoo was listed as an endangered species. This BirdLife Australia project is equipping Australians with the skills they need to help save these birds.
Australia's largest owl, the Powerful Owl has a wingspan of up to 140 cm. In suburban Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, they're usually seen round remnant bushland, where they face issues including lack of nesting sites and collisions with cars and windows. We're securing a future for Powerful Owl
Birds in Schools is an environmental education project designed by BirdLife Australia and its Urban Birds Program. It teaches students to identify and monitor birds, explore their habitats and ultimately take action for local birdlife.
Habitat clearance and degradation are major threats to black-cockatoos in south-western Australia, with development rapidly reducing their remaining habitat around Perth. You can help black-cockatoos by planting native plants in your garden, or when replanting your local reserve.
