Garden Bird Survey
Male bellbird
Landcare Research, in collaboration with Forest & Bird and the Ornithological Society, established a garden bird survey to monitor the distribution and population trends of common garden birds in New Zealand.
Results of 2009 Survey
House sparrow tops again!
The house sparrow was the most abundant species in our gardens in 2009, as in 2008. The silvereye was again the second most abundant species, and starling and blackbird third and fourth most abundant. Read more »
Trends over the years
House sparrow numbers increased and silvereye numbers decreased for the second year in a row. Read more »
Number of birds per garden over three years, 2007–2009.
What is a garden bird survey?
The basic format of the garden bird survey is that people spend 1 hour during a specified week in winter watching birds in their home gardens, public parks, or school grounds, and recording the largest number of each species they see at any one time. When repeated over a number of years this will provide valuable information on changes in distribution and population trends of birds in our urban environment. If enough rural gardens are sampled, the survey will also provide information on birds in the rural environment as well.
Why do a garden bird survey
The New Zealand Garden Bird Surveys seek to answer the question, “Are common bird populations increasing or decreasing?” New Zealand has a number of rare native bird species that are declining, but we do not know the population trends of our more common native or introduced bird species. Some native birds occur in towns and cities (e.g. bellbird, fantail, grey warbler, kereru or wood pigeon, silvereye, and tui). Measuring the population trends of these species is an enormous task, and that’s why we need your help to achieve this. Overseas Garden Bird Survey’s have been vital in tracking the fortunes of both urban and rural bird species, and in some cases have helped to highlight alarming declines in certain birds, that might never have been identified were it not for the public’s help.
Collaborators
- The Ornithological Society of New Zealand - www.osnz.org.nz
- Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society www.forestandbird.org.nz
Primary contact
 | Eric Spurr Email  |
Landcare Research | |
Phone: 03 321 9999 |