2018 Aussie Backyard Bird Count Results
Rainbows rule the roost!
For the fifth consecutive year, Australians headed into their backyards and local green spaces to take part in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. In 2018, together we counted more than 2.7 million birds including over 305,000 Rainbow Lorikeets!
So, why are Rainbow Lorikeets ruling the roost?
While the species is ubiquitous today, this hasn’t always been the case. In some parts of Australia, such as around Melbourne, the Rainbows were driven out as the urban areas expanded, and even where they were still common in the bush, they were largely absent from our cities.
The rise of the Rainbow Lorikeet highlights the changes in Aussie backyards over the past half century, with traditional European-style cottage gardens making way for native backyards which provide the perfect place for these nectar-loving birds to forage on the flowers of eucalypts, bottle-brushes and grevilleas to harvest nectar and pollen. This shows the impact that planting natives can have, head over to our gardening tips page to see which plants will attract your favourite birds.
Download the 2018 results infographic here
Download the 2018 species list for Australia and the states/territories here
Why we need you
Collecting a huge dataset like the one we get from the Aussie Backyard Bird Count is only possible thanks to you. The vast amount of data collected from citizen science programs like the Aussie Backyard Bird Count fills a knowledge gap, particularly on urban bird species, and gives us access to areas we usually wouldn’t be able to survey, like your backyard!
As well as helping ecologists track large-scale biodiversity trends like these, it also gives people the chance to connect with their natural environment and gain a greater appreciation of our unique fauna.
Count birds year-round
If counting birds for one week each October isn’t enough, and you’re keen to submit bird surveys year-round, you should check out our bird monitoring programs — Birds in Backyards and Birdata.
