The yearly Aussie Bird Count is fast approaching on the 16th - 22nd October. It is one of Australia's biggest citizen science events of the year.
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Our Zoo is fortunate to have several different habitats within our borders and many wonderful wild bird species that call it home.
Staff and volunteers do a Zoo Bird Count at this time each year but like last year we're also inviting zoo guests to participate. It's a simple, fun activity that encourages people from all walks of life to take time out, get back to nature and make a difference for conservation efforts.
IN OTHER NEWS:
We know that many Dubbo locals participate in the Aussie Bird Count yearly but we're asking locals that come to the Zoo that week to pick an area of the Zoo and submit a count or two. All you need is 20 minutes and some keen eyesight.
Binoculars come in handy but are not essential. It doesn't matter if you don't have bird watching experience, as there is a fantastic Aussie Bird Count app for you to download which guides you on what species you think it might be. Register and download the Aussie Bird Count app at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/
In this app you will instantly see live statistics and information on how many people are taking part near you and the number of birds and species counted in the Zoo, your neighbourhood, and the whole of Australia!
Not only will you get to know the species within the Zoo, which gives us a guide on how the wild species are faring within zoo grounds, but also you will be contributing to a vital pool of information from across the nation that will help in knowing how Australian bird species are doing out in the wild.
You can collect a species/tick list at the ticketing desk which lists birds that have been spotted in the Zoo historically, with the more common species highlighted in blue. It would be great to know your results of what species and how many that you spotted in the Zoo, please email wpz@zoo.nsw.gov.au with the email subject line Mark O'Riordan - Aussie Bird Count.
Even if you're not doing the count but see an interesting bird in that week then that knowledge would be greatly appreciated also.
We counted 98 species, totalling 1998 birds in last year's Zoo count, our best species count yet since the Zoo Count started in 2016 but we really want to beat 100. Come and help us get over the line this year!
