Backyard Bird Surveys - Autumn/Winter 2006
Backyard Bird Surveys - Autumn/Winter 2006
Six hundered and sixteen surveys were submitted during the Autumn/Winter period of the 2006 Birds in Backyards survey. Of these, 361 submissions have been 20-minute one-day surveys from urban backyards and urban parks. We provide some brief results from these records below.
There have been some significant changes in the frequencies with which different species have been recorded in this period, compared with the Spring/Summer surveys. The most noticable change is the drop from first place to 7th place in the ranking of the Noisy Miner. Further analysis is required to determine whether this drop reflects a genuine change in activity, or whether there has been an overall change in the locations from which surveys are being returned. We will do this analysis at the end of the winter period.
Other species which have been recorded significantly less frequently include the Common Myna, Rainbow Loikeet, Grey Butcherbird and, inevitably, the migratory Koel and Channel-billed Cuckoos.
Perhaps in correspondence with the lower reporting rate of Noisy Miners, there has been an increase in reporting of several smaller native species. The New Holland Honeyeater, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-browed Finch, Eastern Spinebill, Silvereye and Willie Wagtail have all made it into the top 20 during the Autumn/Winter period. The Pied Currawong and Red Wattlebird have also been recorded more frequently.
Percentage of gardens in which each species was recorded in 20-minute one-day surveys.
| Species | Autumn/ Winter | Spring/ Summer |
|---|---|---|
| Red Wattlebird | 38 | 32 |
| Pied Currawong | 34 | 28 |
| Rainbow Lorikeet | 32 | 41 |
| Common Myna | 28 | 36 |
| New Holland Honeyeater | 27 | 19 |
| Australian Magpie | 26 | 35 |
| Noisy Miner | 26 | 43 |
| Crimson Rosella | 25 | 18 |
| Crested Pigeon | 23 | 31 |
| House Sparrow | 19 | 17 |
| Superb Fairy-wren | 18 | 12 |
| Red-browed Finch | 17 | 6 |
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | 17 | 18 |
| Spotted Turtledove | 17 | 22 |
| Eastern Spinebill | 17 | 4 |
| Silvereye | 16 | 12 |
| Magpie-lark | 13 | 19 |
| Willie Wagtail | 12 | 12 |
| Australian King-Parrot | 12 | 12 |
| Common Blackbird | 12 | 12 |
Grey Fantail | 9 | 1 |
| Galah | 9 | 13 |
| Spotted Pardalote | 9 | 4 |
| Common Starling | 7 | 2 |
| Red-whiskered Bulbul | 6 | 8 |
| White-plumed Honeyeater | 6 | 1 |
| Grey Butcherbird | 6 | 13 |
| Little Wattlebird | 5 | 7 |
| Eastern Rosella | 5 | 5 |
| Laughing Kookaburra | 5 | 10 |
| Australian Raven | 4 | 9 |
| Satin Bowerbird | 4 | 2 |
| Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike | 2 | 2 |
| Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo | 2 | 2 |
| Common Koel | 1 | 14 |
| Noisy Friarbird | 0 | 3 |
| Channel-billed Cuckoo | 0 | 2 |
Two species that don't make it into the rankings, but which have been the subject of a number of inquiries are the Australian White Ibis and the Australian Brush-turkey. Both these species are currently the subject of research projects in the Sydney region.
Postcode areas in which the Australian White Ibis (red dots) and Australian Brush-turkey (yellow dots)have been recorded in the Backyard Birds survey.
