Birds in Backyards seasonal surveys are super simple to do, and it’s free to take part. All you have to do is hop onto the Birdata website or the Birdata app, and follow the instructions. It only takes 20 minutes, plus a moment to jot down some simple information about your garden. Anybody can participate. The data you gather is vitally important for our team of scientists.
Birds in Backyards Seasonal Surveys take place across the year, with four survey periods, one for each of the seasons:
You can participate in a Birds in Backyards seasonal survey almost anywhere. If you’ve got a backyard, you can do it there. However, even people who don’t have backyards can take part. Any location near your home where you can see birds is fine. You might try a school, for example, or the local park.
The purpose of this survey is to see how birds are doing in our urban areas. Cities can be hostile places for birds, and we want to know about things like their numbers, their behaviour and what features of our gardens they like, and what they avoid.
Most people will be able to take part in these surveys easily, even if they have little birding experience. The survey forms will help you to identify common birds in your area to get you started.
The data you gather will provide important information for our team of scientists.
If you complete at least one survey per season, you’ll go into the draw to win some great prizes.
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.
