About BirdLife Australia
BirdLife Australia has been Australia's voice for birds since 1901.
Today, they are Australia's largest bird conservation charity, with over 375,000 members and supporters standing together to protect Australia's birds.
About the Aussie Bird Count
The Aussie Bird Count is one of Australia's biggest citizen science events. Now in its eleventh year, BirdLife Australia's Aussie Bird Count has helped raise the profile of Australia's birds - by encouraging hundreds of thousands of people around the country to connect with nature and get to know the birds around them.
In 2024, you can join the Count from October 14‒20 and help BirdLife Australia collect information about the birds around us. Last year, over 60,000 people counted more than 3.5 million birds - and you can help make our 2024 Count our biggest and best yet!
Why we count
It's fun for everyone
Birdwatching is for everyone! No matter your age or experience, anyone can join the Aussie Bird Count. You can count alone or in a group from anywhere in Australia, and it's a great way to practice your bird ID skills.
Get involved with citizen science
By taking part in one of Australia's biggest citizen science events, you're practicing the same basic techniques used in
standard bird surveys - so you can count birds and become a citizen scientist year-round!
Get back to nature
The Aussie Bird Count is the perfect excuse to get outdoors and enjoy some quality time in nature.
Contribute to bird research and conservation
These 20-minute counts provide a snapshot of Australian bird populations at the same time each year, which helps track how bird populations are faring over time.
It's good for you!
Watching birds can reduce stress and anxiety, decrease mental fatigue and even improve our mood and cognitive functioning
-while encouraging physical activity and time spent outdoors and in nature.
How to count
You don't need to be an ornithologist to take part in the Aussie Bird Count - it's fun for everyone!
To take part, register as a counter at aussiebirdcount.org.au and download the Aussie Bird Count app. You can find the free Aussie Bird Count app on the Apple Store and on Google Play.
- Step One – Set aside 20 minutes
Between 14-20 October, simply spend 20 minutes in the one place watching, counting and recording the birds that you see. You can count from anywhere: from home, at school, in your backyard or a nearby park or outdoor space of your choosing.
- Step Two – Count the birds
Enter your location in the app (or through the online web form) and the name and number of each bird species you see. If you're confident you can identify a bird by its call alone, you can include it in your count. You can count as many times as you like and in as many places as you like over the week, but each count should be 20 minutes long.
You can count solo or together, but remember to only submit one count per group.
- Step Three – Find that bird!
The Aussie Bird Count is a great way to put your bird identification skills to the test and get to know your local birds. The app even has a handy built-in "Bird Finder" tool to help you identify birds you're unsure of.
- Step Four – Submit your count
Once the 20 minutes is up, it's time to submit your count! You can review and edit your bird list in the app.
If there are any species you can't identify, please leave them out.
Once you're happy with your count, click 'Submit Checklist' to submit your count.
You can even share it on social media!
You will then receive an email summary of your count, which will also include a link to edit it if you made any mistakes.
Just by submitting a count, you'll go into the running to win some incredible prizes on offer.
