Annual NZ Bird Survey

Neil from Newstead

On a recent trip to Vietnam, a country of 90 million people and over 27 million motor scooters, I could count the sound of different “birds in the wild” (including sparrows) on one hand over the duration of ten days in three of the largest cities and Halong Bay overnight on water. There were of course farmed Peking ducks in places and in Ho Chi Min City, even the sound of roosters crowing at dawn (used I could see as tourist draw cards or cock fighter stock according to our guide). Sadly too, there were the inevitable personal collections of wild birds in cages. I recalled a similar situation a decade earlier when visiting Surabaya, Indonesia over three years. The lushness of the vegetation in these tropical climes, which might suggest abundance of bird life showed in reality the opposite. There the only bird I saw in the wild was so timid I found difficulty trying to even get a photo. Is it the press of millions of people and their need for food that impacts so significantly on the presence of birds in the wild? Reading the following article printed verbatim below from the Hamilton Press, I would encourage readers to assist in the tracking of our abundant (by comparison) birdlife. I am also sure this would be a great holiday project for children during the pending holiday break.

Choose one hour during the week June 30 to July 8 and record all the birds you can see and hear. You’ll be part of a citizen science project that has been going since 2007. Birds are an indicator for the state of our environment. Comparing numbers from year to year builds up a picture of how bird populations are coping. Full instructions on how to take part and bird identification tips are at landcareresearch.co.nz. Have a good look around the survey website. There’s information about the pros and cons of feeding birds and which species do better in gardens where food is supplied, plus fun quizzes and activities. The interactive Garden Bird Atlas reveals how many sample gardens there are in each suburb. Bird counters cover most of the country but we’re thin on the ground. More participants will give a better picture of bird populations, so please go out there and do your bit.