NZ Garden Bird Survey: Join Aotearoa’s longest-running citizen science project – Editorial

The survey last year showed that national declines in silvereye (tauhou) lessened.

Editorial

THE FACTS

• More than 77,000 garden surveys have been completed nationwide since 2007.
• The biggest contributions to the survey last year were from Auckland (1636), Wellington (1174) and Canterbury (1125).
• Survey results are an important “litmus test” type tool that helps researchers understand how birds are coping with environmental challenges, including issues affecting the food chain.

Every year in winter, the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey takes place across the country.

It is Aotearoa’s longest-running citizen science project and performs an important role in tracking how our birds are faring, especially in urban and rural environments.

People sign up, choose a day, and for one hour in their garden or local park, look and listen for birds.

For each species, they record the highest number seen or heard at one time.

The Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research (MWLR) survey is carried out in winter as this is when some of the native forest birds are looking for food in our gardens. Tūī, fantails, silvereyes and even kākā and kererū may be around.

We can take our incredible birdlife for granted and imagine that they will always be around, but history tells us otherwise.

Birds are reliant on trees, plants and other animals for food, shelter and their basic needs.

Many species have become extinct, including moa, huia and the New Zealand quail.

On the Department of Conservation’s Nationally Critical list, which means they are the most severely threatened and are facing an immediate high risk of extinction, the kākāpō, New Zealand fairy tern/tara iti and the black stilt/kakī are among the birds named.

These are sad lists, and some are the direct result of humans and our impact on their environment.

It’s not all bad news though, pest control programmes like Northland’s Kiwi Coast are making a huge difference to the kiwi population.

In 2024, 120,520 pests were trapped, averaging 2300 a week across the region.

Birds are important because they play a crucial role in the health and balance of our ecosystems. They help plants to pollinate and spread and also eat pest insects.

According to MWLR senior researcher Dr Angela Brandt, the garden survey data collection shows how the trends for each species might be changing over time.

Last year’s survey found that tūī and pīwakawaka (fantail) showed increasing trends and the national declines in silvereye (tauhou) counts lessened.

But there were short-term declines for kererū both at the national scale and in seven regions.

“In the latest report, we see a tapering off of national declines for silvereye and increasing trends in their counts in 10 regions, which is heartening. But short-term declines are emerging for several species, including kererū and three introduced songbirds,” Brandt said.

“We received a record number of surveys in 2024, and I’d love to see if each region can come out in force for their garden birds again,” she said.

This is the 19th survey and you can take part until Sunday, July 6.

You can do it as an individual or gather your family, pupils or friends and do it together.

To find out how to participate, visit the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey website.

The more we know about the other species we share this planet with the better.

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