Is your neighbourhood one of the lucky ones to be host to a family of Fairy Wrens? The ‘tiny little balls of pure joy’ were named Australia’s Bird of the Year this month by The Guardian.
If you haven’t seen any lately, maybe you could take part in the annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count next week (18 – 24 October) and have the kids go on a bird hunt.
Hint: Superb Fairywrens live in the scrub, where dense foliage can protect them from predators. Unfortunately, however, little birds like these are disappearing from many neighbourhoods, due to urbanisation and predation by larger birds.
All you need to do is spend 20 minutes in a favourite outdoor space, noting all the birds you see in the time, then enter your findings in the AussieBird Count app or website. The exercise can be repeated as often as you like over the week.
Fairywrens aside, BirdLife Australia would love to see more young Australians take part in the count, especially since many students are still learning from home.
“This year’s count will provide an opportunity to gain a more detailed picture of our native birds, as more students participate from their backyards while schooling at home during lockdown restrictions,” BirdLife Australia’s Sean Dooley said.
Apart from offering opportunities for kids to connect with nature, gain scientific skills and learn about topics like habitats and adaptations, the count is a citizen science project that can provide valuable data to scientists, allowing them to better track Australia’s birds, their habitats and changed behaviours.
For more information on the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, visit the aussiebirdcount.org.au website.
