Backyard bird watchers needed for survey

An environmental research group is calling on bird enthusiasts to help ``track the fortunes of our familiar feathered friends''.
Participants in the fifth annual New Zealand Garden Bird Survey are asked to record all birds that visit their garden for one hour between June 25 and July 3.
Organiser Eric Spurr said the survey provided wildlife experts with valuable information on native birds and ``other winged residents''.
``The strong involvement of participants throughout New Zealand ensures a much more representative survey,'' he said.
Last year, the silvereye was found to be the most common bird.