![]() They also improve the data used to inform conservation management decisions, and inform biodiversity disaster management.įor example, improved knowledge about where birds go after fire destroys their preferred habitat will help conservation groups and state governments prioritize locations for recovery efforts. That's why consolidating positive behavior change, such as the rise in public engagement with birdwatching and reporting, is so important.Ĭitizen science programs help increase environmental awareness and concern. Her nest was later discovered 100 meters from the carpark. This includes threats from domestic cat and dog predation, starvation due to inadequate food supply, and stress-induced nest failure.Ī female superb lyrebird calling to her reflection in a parked car in suburbia. Their presence in marginal habitats within and at the edge of urban and severely burnt areas puts them more at risk. The increased reporting rates of fire-affected birds is good news, as it means many birds are surviving despite losing their home. A gang-gang effort: why we're desperate for citizen scientists The huge rise in birdwatching at home has even given rise to new hashtags you can follow, such as #BirdingatHome on Twitter, and #CuppaWithTheBirds on Instagram. What's more, reporting of gang-gangs almost doubled in birding-focused apps, such as Birdlife Australia's Birdata, which recently added a bushfire assessment tool. And the number of different people submitting these records doubled from 26 in 2019 to 53 in 2020. Data sourced from BirdLife Australia’s Birdata database.īetween January and June, photos and records of gang-gang cockatoos in the global amateur citizen science app iNaturalist increased by 60% from 2019 to 2020. Of these, 45% are birds.Ĭhange in the number of area-based surveys by Australian citizen scientists over the first six months of 2019 compared with 2020. ![]() In our research that's soon to be published, we found the fires razed forests, grasslands and woodlands considered habitat for 832 species of native vertebrate fauna. Birds threatened with extinctionĪustralia's native plants and animals are on the slow path to recovery after the devastating fires last summer. Australia's growing fascination with birds is vital for conservation after last summer's devastating bushfires reduced many habitats to ash. Holly Parsons.īut it's not just a joyful hobby. ![]() In fact, Australian citizen scientists submitted ten times the number of backyard bird surveys to BirdLife Australia's Birdata app in April compared with the same time last year, according to BirdLife Australia's Dr. Yet, Australians are reporting bird sightings at record rates-they've just changed where and how they do it. When Australians first went into lockdown in March, the combination of border closures, lockdowns and the closure of burnt areas from last summer's bushfires meant those who would have traveled far and wide to watch their favorite birds, instead stayed home. ![]()
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