Birdlife Australia is excited to announce that the Aussie Backyard Bird Count (ABBC) is back for its third year.

From 17 – 23 October 2016, during national Bird Week, thousands of bird-loving Australians will be found in backyards of all shapes and sizes spotting their local birds and discovering how they are coping in the spaces we share. Participants are asked to spend 20 minutes in their favourite outdoor space and record all birds seen on the Aussie Bird Count App (or website). Throughout the week, participants can instantly see live statistics on how many people are taking part and the number of birds and species counted both locally and nationally.

The ABBC aims to promote awareness and support for Australian birds through engaging and educating local communities across Australia. Furthermore, data collected from the bird count will provide BirdLife Australia with important information and allow us to form a more detailed picture of how Australian bird species are faring.

Results from the ABBC can also be useful for local councils to gauge how bird species are faring within their region. In 2016, the Aussie Backyard Bird Count Council Packages will offer tailor-made results for councils, and the Parrot and Emu packages will also provide the raw data. Three Council Packages are available at different levels of commitment; the greater the promotion and participation during the ABBC within your council area, the more data that will be received.

With over one million birds counted last year, we are excited to see how many birds we can count this year! To see the 2015 ABBC results and for more information head to: www.aussiebirdcount.org.au