Five-minute bird counts

A bird count station located within the Town Belt. 

City Sanctuary is gearing up for the next chapter of work, beginning regular five-minute bird counts. It’s a simple but effective tool that can be used to gauge the health of ecosystems where predator control has taken place.  

The count requires an observer to record the number and species of birds seen or heard at a specific site over a five-minute period. When the counts are completed at the same location over a period of time, the data can be used to gain a picture of the changes occurring. For example, we might see an increase in the number or types of native bird species seen as predator numbers decrease and native plants begin to regrow. This is a monitoring tool that City Sanctuary will be using at different sites across the city to obtain valuable information on the abundance and density of birds. 

City Sanctuary will be seeking volunteers to do five-minute bird counts once the new sites are established. If you are interested in giving it a go now, you can head out to one of our ten permanent bird count stations located in the Town Belt. The data from the Town Belt bird count stations helps us measure the impact of urban predator control on habitat restoration and bird life in the area. Click on the button to find out more.