The Aussie Backyard Bird Count.

It’s approaching that time of the year again.

Login at https://login.birdlife.org.au/s/login/

Official count dates Mon 16th Oct to 22 Oct.

Smartphone submissions or web submissions
Web submissions at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/submit-a-count/
Website opens for submissions on 10th Oct.

Results from 2022.

Infographic brief summary at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2022-Aussie-Bird-Count_Results-Infographic.pdf

Detailed results on Excel spreadsheet at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2022-Aussie-Bird-Count_Species-Lists-National-and-State-with-Counts-and-Reporting-Rates.xlsx

mollwollfumble said:

The Aussie Backyard Bird Count.

It’s approaching that time of the year again.

Login at https://login.birdlife.org.au/s/login/

Official count dates Mon 16th Oct to 22 Oct.

Smartphone submissions or web submissions
Web submissions at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/submit-a-count/
Website opens for submissions on 10th Oct.

Results from 2022.

Infographic brief summary at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2022-Aussie-Bird-Count_Results-Infographic.pdf

Detailed results on Excel spreadsheet at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2022-Aussie-Bird-Count_Species-Lists-National-and-State-with-Counts-and-Reporting-Rates.xlsx

From infographic.

The only state where an introduced species is in the top three is Tasmania – where all three of the top species are introduced (sparrow, blackbird, starling). The climate in Tasmania more closely resembles that in Europe.

From Detailed results

Not likely to see one of these beauties, there are only a few hundred left. And there’s no plan to save them :(

Conservationists fear that without a recovery plan, the Tasmanian azure kingfisher could go extinct

Bubblecar said:

Not likely to see one of these beauties, there are only a few hundred left. And there’s no plan to save them :(

Conservationists fear that without a recovery plan, the Tasmanian azure kingfisher could go extinct

Beautiful plumage.

Bubblecar said:

Not likely to see one of these beauties, there are only a few hundred left. And there’s no plan to save them :(

Conservationists fear that without a recovery plan, the Tasmanian azure kingfisher could go extinct

Yet another chapter in the sadness book.

Bubblecar said:

Not likely to see one of these beauties, there are only a few hundred left. And there’s no plan to save them :(

Conservationists fear that without a recovery plan, the Tasmanian azure kingfisher could go extinct

They are beautiful birds with very bright coloration. I have seen them in northern Australia where more common, or at least their subspecies is. It would be a big loss if the Tasmanian subspecies went extinct.

Bubblecar said:

Not likely to see one of these beauties, there are only a few hundred left. And there’s no plan to save them :(

Conservationists fear that without a recovery plan, the Tasmanian azure kingfisher could go extinct

It can be hard to get action on preserving subspecies.

Ask the northern white rhinoceros.
If you can find one.

Bubblecar said:

Not likely to see one of these beauties, there are only a few hundred left. And there’s no plan to save them :(

Conservationists fear that without a recovery plan, the Tasmanian azure kingfisher could go extinct

never seen one.
but I haven’t spent much time in that area.

No argument this year. The Magpie is by far the best .

bucolic3401 said:

No argument this year. The Magpie is by far the best .

maggie sitting in an old gum tree, prepping for to swoop on me.

Bogsnorkler said:

bucolic3401 said:

No argument this year. The Magpie is by far the best .

maggie sitting in an old gum tree, prepping for to swoop on me.

Around here, the maggies are happy to share my yard without any sign of aggression.
The farken mudlarks though, they are complete aggro lunatics. Luckily they limit themselves to windows, mirrors and all things reflective. They work hard all day at attacking themselves. Completley nutgone. I wonder when they get time to eat, let alone feed fledgelings.

Our village magpies are friendly beggars.

The Hobart magpies are the only swooping bastards I’ve encountered on this island.

Bubblecar said:

Our village magpies are friendly beggars.

The Hobart magpies are the only swooping bastards I’ve encountered on this island.

If they know you, they’ll accept yu as part of their territory.
If they swoop, it is best to be wearing a hat and keep your eyes down and keep walking. Don’t respond.

roughbarked said:

Bubblecar said:

Our village magpies are friendly beggars.

The Hobart magpies are the only swooping bastards I’ve encountered on this island.

If they know you, they’ll accept yu as part of their territory.
If they swoop, it is best to be wearing a hat and keep your eyes down and keep walking. Don’t respond.

Once they recognise you as not a threat, they’ll attack someone else.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

Bubblecar said:

Our village magpies are friendly beggars.

The Hobart magpies are the only swooping bastards I’ve encountered on this island.

If they know you, they’ll accept yu as part of their territory.
If they swoop, it is best to be wearing a hat and keep your eyes down and keep walking. Don’t respond.

Once they recognise you as not a threat, they’ll attack someone else.

I was quite often attacked by magpies in my youthful Adelaide years, as apparently they’re particularly enraged by pretty blond boys.

Bubblecar said:

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

If they know you, they’ll accept yu as part of their territory.
If they swoop, it is best to be wearing a hat and keep your eyes down and keep walking. Don’t respond.

Once they recognise you as not a threat, they’ll attack someone else.

I was quite often attacked by magpies in my youthful Adelaide years, as apparently they’re particularly enraged by pretty blond boys.

Someone like you, pinched their eggs from the nest.

One thing I’ve been doing is analysing the data from the ABBC to see which species of birds are at risk, and which are benefiting from human interaction. Because of the way that the ABBC is set up, I’ve limited the analysis to the 100 or so most commonly seen bird species. Below that limit, and the influences from individual bird observers start to become significant, and numbers of birds seen become so low that statistical accuracy is compromised.

Up front, I want to add that observed numbers of all waterbirds fluctuate wildly from year to year in Australia. For those common mostly in southern Australia, these tend to move in step, but not in step with those from northern Australia. Waterbirds affected include coot, hardhead, both of the teals, swans, pelicans, magpie geese, whistling ducks, straw-necked ibis, etc.

The previous analysis was 2016 to 2020, five years of data. I’ve now extended this to 2016-2022, seven years of data. Results from the year 2016 are a bit iffy because the ABBC was still limited by inexperience. Another problem is that occasionally species get lumped together when they shouldn’t be, and this particularly affected the little wattlebird in the early years where it was erroneously misnamed as red wattlebird in one state.

Anyway, the results. The first table has preliminary results on the left and final results on the right. Birds declining in numbers at the top and birds increasing in numbers at the bottom. Those highlighted in yellow show a decline in numbers in both preliminary and final analyses, though often with a quite different calculated rate of decline (in percent per year).

First graph is a plot over time of the six most commonly seen bird species. Thankfully, no hugely significant trends, particularly no huge increase in sparrow numbers.

Second graph. The 19 next most commonly seen birds. Again, no hugely significant trends. There’s an overall increase in crested pigeon sightings.

Third graph. Other birds, in alphabetical order. Some species have a significant decrease in sightings. The Ringneck parrot was looking badly off until a resurgence in 2022. Figbird and Bellbird numbers are going down, but both have seen a slight reversal in 2022.

Fourth graph. Other birds, in alphabetical order. This chart is dominated by massive ups and downs in numbers of waterbirds seen. Particularly of the Coot.

Fifth graph. Other birds, in alphabetical order. There is a decline in the Pied Butcherbird and Peaceful Dove numbers seen. Red-browed finches were looking in a very bad way from 2016 to 2020, but have had a beautiful resurgence in 2021 and 2022. Ditto Red-tailed Cockatoo, but the resurgence has been less.

Sixth and final graph. The Straw-necked Ibis showed a startling increase in numbers from 2016 to 2020, but returned to original levels in 2021 and 2022. The topknot pigeon and scaly-breasted lorikeet have shown a decline.

And that’s it. The most serious decline in numbers is the Red-tailed Cockatoo but there has been a slight increase in numbers in 2021 and 2022.

mollwollfumble said:

One thing I’ve been doing is analysing the data from the ABBC to see which species of birds are at risk, and which are benefiting from human interaction. Because of the way that the ABBC is set up, I’ve limited the analysis to the 100 or so most commonly seen bird species. Below that limit, and the influences from individual bird observers start to become significant, and numbers of birds seen become so low that statistical accuracy is compromised.

Up front, I want to add that observed numbers of all waterbirds fluctuate wildly from year to year in Australia. For those common mostly in southern Australia, these tend to move in step, but not in step with those from northern Australia. Waterbirds affected include coot, hardhead, both of the teals, swans, pelicans, magpie geese, whistling ducks, straw-necked ibis, etc.

The previous analysis was 2016 to 2020, five years of data. I’ve now extended this to 2016-2022, seven years of data. Results from the year 2016 are a bit iffy because the ABBC was still limited by inexperience. Another problem is that occasionally species get lumped together when they shouldn’t be, and this particularly affected the little wattlebird in the early years where it was erroneously misnamed as red wattlebird in one state.

Anyway, the results. The first table has preliminary results on the left and final results on the right. Birds declining in numbers at the top and birds increasing in numbers at the bottom. Those highlighted in yellow show a decline in numbers in both preliminary and final analyses, though often with a quite different calculated rate of decline (in percent per year).

First graph is a plot over time of the six most commonly seen bird species. Thankfully, no hugely significant trends, particularly no huge increase in sparrow numbers.

Second graph. The 19 next most commonly seen birds. Again, no hugely significant trends. There’s an overall increase in crested pigeon sightings.

Third graph. Other birds, in alphabetical order. Some species have a significant decrease in sightings. The Ringneck parrot was looking badly off until a resurgence in 2022. Figbird and Bellbird numbers are going down, but both have seen a slight reversal in 2022.

Fourth graph. Other birds, in alphabetical order. This chart is dominated by massive ups and downs in numbers of waterbirds seen. Particularly of the Coot.

Fifth graph. Other birds, in alphabetical order. There is a decline in the Pied Butcherbird and Peaceful Dove numbers seen. Red-browed finches were looking in a very bad way from 2016 to 2020, but have had a beautiful resurgence in 2021 and 2022. Ditto Red-tailed Cockatoo, but the resurgence has been less.

Sixth and final graph. The Straw-necked Ibis showed a startling increase in numbers from 2016 to 2020, but returned to original levels in 2021 and 2022. The topknot pigeon and scaly-breasted lorikeet have shown a decline.

And that’s it. The most serious decline in numbers is the Red-tailed Cockatoo but there has been a slight increase in numbers in 2021 and 2022.

There are many birds not in your lists but thanks for the work you have done.

roughbarked said:

There are many birds not in your lists but thanks for the work you have done.

Wow, a compliment for roughbarked, I must be dreaming.

You do have a good point. I selected the hundred or so bird species years ago, and the data since then might add enough accuracy to be good enough to look at more species.

Back in 2016, the hundredth most common species had 2,000 birds sighted nationwide
By contrast in 2022, the 150th most common species had 2,000 birds sighted nationwide, and the 100th most common species 5,000 birds nationwide.

So I could try now the next 50 most common species.

I watched the results around here last year. Several people are making a competition of it. And there is quite a bit of “making up” on the submitted lists both here and at Tin Can Bay.

For instance, see Bush Stone Curlew. Many of the places they were recorded around town, they never ever come to.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

There are many birds not in your lists but thanks for the work you have done.

Wow, a compliment for roughbarked, I must be dreaming.

You do have a good point. I selected the hundred or so bird species years ago, and the data since then might add enough accuracy to be good enough to look at more species.

Back in 2016, the hundredth most common species had 2,000 birds sighted nationwide
By contrast in 2022, the 150th most common species had 2,000 birds sighted nationwide, and the 100th most common species 5,000 birds nationwide.

So I could try now the next 50 most common species.

I wouldn’t leave you off my compliment list.

Michael V said:

I watched the results around here last year. Several people are making a competition of it. And there is quite a bit of “making up” on the submitted lists both here and at Tin Can Bay.

For instance, see Bush Stone Curlew. Many of the places they were recorded around town, they never ever come to.

Then you’ve never read the book titled “Curlews in Vulture Street”.
Where Bush Stone Curlews were reliably seen in the middle of Brisbane, with babies.
Bush Stone Curlews have been moving into Australian cities lately.

mollwollfumble said:

Michael V said:

I watched the results around here last year. Several people are making a competition of it. And there is quite a bit of “making up” on the submitted lists both here and at Tin Can Bay.

For instance, see Bush Stone Curlew. Many of the places they were recorded around town, they never ever come to.

Then you’ve never read the book titled “Curlews in Vulture Street”.
Where Bush Stone Curlews were reliably seen in the middle of Brisbane, with babies.
Bush Stone Curlews have been moving into Australian cities lately.

The most serious errors in data input are not misidentifications, even though there are many hundreds of those. Or made up birds, I’ve heard of one where cassowaries were reported from city streets in Hobart. The misidentifications and made up birds are relatively easy to fix. Ditto where the locations input are totally wrong.

No, the most serious errors in data input are when somebody sees a flock of 50 birds and mistakenly inputs that as a flock of 500 birds. When you’re dealing with bird numbers in the order of 3,000, an extra 450 creates a sizeable error. These cases (about 20 a year) are pinned down by the proofreaders and eliminated individually.

PS, my own misidentifications are so screamingly imbecile that I have no intention of repeating them here.

mollwollfumble said:

Michael V said:

I watched the results around here last year. Several people are making a competition of it. And there is quite a bit of “making up” on the submitted lists both here and at Tin Can Bay.

For instance, see Bush Stone Curlew. Many of the places they were recorded around town, they never ever come to.

Then you’ve never read the book titled “Curlews in Vulture Street”.
Where Bush Stone Curlews were reliably seen in the middle of Brisbane, with babies.
Bush Stone Curlews have been moving into Australian cities lately.

This year I have seen bush stone curlews not far from there. Duncan St, West End.

Michael V said:

mollwollfumble said:

Michael V said:

I watched the results around here last year. Several people are making a competition of it. And there is quite a bit of “making up” on the submitted lists both here and at Tin Can Bay.

For instance, see Bush Stone Curlew. Many of the places they were recorded around town, they never ever come to.

Then you’ve never read the book titled “Curlews in Vulture Street”.
Where Bush Stone Curlews were reliably seen in the middle of Brisbane, with babies.
Bush Stone Curlews have been moving into Australian cities lately.

This year I have seen bush stone curlews not far from there. Duncan St, West End.

They seemed to be regulars down at Newrybar.

Michael V said:

mollwollfumble said:

Michael V said:

I watched the results around here last year. Several people are making a competition of it. And there is quite a bit of “making up” on the submitted lists both here and at Tin Can Bay.

For instance, see Bush Stone Curlew. Many of the places they were recorded around town, they never ever come to.

Then you’ve never read the book titled “Curlews in Vulture Street”.
Where Bush Stone Curlews were reliably seen in the middle of Brisbane, with babies.
Bush Stone Curlews have been moving into Australian cities lately.

This year I have seen bush stone curlews not far from there. Duncan St, West End.

There are some in the bush on the northern side of town, but they don’t venture into the area of the town where they were “recorded”.

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

mollwollfumble said:

Then you’ve never read the book titled “Curlews in Vulture Street”.
Where Bush Stone Curlews were reliably seen in the middle of Brisbane, with babies.
Bush Stone Curlews have been moving into Australian cities lately.

This year I have seen bush stone curlews not far from there. Duncan St, West End.

There are some in the bush on the northern side of town, but they don’t venture into the area of the town where they were “recorded”.

I’ve got bush stone curlews in the golf links behind me.

Peak Warming Man said:

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

This year I have seen bush stone curlews not far from there. Duncan St, West End.

There are some in the bush on the northern side of town, but they don’t venture into the area of the town where they were “recorded”.

I’ve got bush stone curlews in the golf links behind me.

I don’t got any here.

> I’ve got bush stone curlews in the golf links behind me.

Lovely :-)

mollwollfumble said:

Michael V said:

I watched the results around here last year. Several people are making a competition of it. And there is quite a bit of “making up” on the submitted lists both here and at Tin Can Bay.

For instance, see Bush Stone Curlew. Many of the places they were recorded around town, they never ever come to.

The most serious errors in data input are not misidentifications, even though there are many hundreds of those. Or made up birds, I’ve heard of one where cassowaries were reported from city streets in Hobart. The misidentifications and made up birds are relatively easy to fix. Ditto where the locations input are totally wrong.

No, the most serious errors in data input are when somebody sees a flock of 50 birds and mistakenly inputs that as a flock of 500 birds. When you’re dealing with bird numbers in the order of 3,000, an extra 450 creates a sizeable error. These cases (about 20 a year) are pinned down by the proofreaders and eliminated individually.

PS, my own misidentifications are so screamingly imbecile that I have no intention of repeating them here.

I’ve got a screaming error right in front of me now.

Somebody reported seeing a flock of 8,000 Adelie Penguins in Australia in the year 2021. The sighting may be genuine, as the survey includes Australian external territories. But still, I’m going to leave this sighting off my Australian backyard bird list. 8,000 birds makes it about the 85th most common species in Australia that year.

mollwollfumble said:

> I’ve got bush stone curlews in the golf links behind me.

Lovely :-)

mollwollfumble said:

Michael V said:

I watched the results around here last year. Several people are making a competition of it. And there is quite a bit of “making up” on the submitted lists both here and at Tin Can Bay.

For instance, see Bush Stone Curlew. Many of the places they were recorded around town, they never ever come to.

The most serious errors in data input are not misidentifications, even though there are many hundreds of those. Or made up birds, I’ve heard of one where cassowaries were reported from city streets in Hobart. The misidentifications and made up birds are relatively easy to fix. Ditto where the locations input are totally wrong.

No, the most serious errors in data input are when somebody sees a flock of 50 birds and mistakenly inputs that as a flock of 500 birds. When you’re dealing with bird numbers in the order of 3,000, an extra 450 creates a sizeable error. These cases (about 20 a year) are pinned down by the proofreaders and eliminated individually.

PS, my own misidentifications are so screamingly imbecile that I have no intention of repeating them here.

I’ve got a screaming error right in front of me now.

Somebody reported seeing a flock of 8,000 Adelie Penguins in Australia in the year 2021. The sighting may be genuine, as the survey includes Australian external territories. But still, I’m going to leave this sighting off my Australian backyard bird list. 8,000 birds makes it about the 85th most common species in Australia that year.

Another source of error is the proofreaders. In one year, all the Little Wattlebirds in Western Australia were mislabelled as Red Wattlebirds. Another year, all the Rainbow Lorikeets in the Northern Territory were mislabelled as Red Collared Lorikeets. There’s no way to fix these.

I’ve now found out why I stopped analysing with those species. The next most common bird species in Australia is different every single year.

2016 Red-necked Stint
2017 Short-tailed Shearwater
2018 Hardhead
2019 White-browed Woodswallow
2020 Little Pied Cormorant
2021 Budgerigar
2022 Spangled Drongo

Does this mean that Red-necked Stints are declining in number and Spangled Drongos are increasing in number? Quite likely. But it could also mean that a particularly thorough observer went after that particular species that year.

I had a redneck stint once

dv said:

I had a redneck stint once

Ditto. Just the one.

I am really really upset just now. I analysed another hundred (and three) species and found that about 27 of them are losing numbers very rapidly, which is far more than I expected. Unless I’ve made a mistake in my calculation, which I’d rate at about a 50-50 chance right now.

I’ve highlighted the species where the reduction in numbers looks very significant. This does need checking.

roughbarked said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Michael V said:

There are some in the bush on the northern side of town, but they don’t venture into the area of the town where they were “recorded”.

I’ve got bush stone curlews in the golf links behind me.

I don’t got any here.

From a recent Readers Digest. April 2023.

The rest of the story is about finding two baby bush stone curlews and parental protection of them.

They’re definitely moving into cities and towns where they never have been before.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

Peak Warming Man said:

I’ve got bush stone curlews in the golf links behind me.

I don’t got any here.

From a recent Readers Digest. April 2023.

The rest of the story is about finding two baby bush stone curlews and parental protection of them.

They’re definitely moving into cities and towns where they never have been before.

Oh well, you obviously have made better observations in my town than I have.

Sorry I made any observations at all. Especially my constantly bad observations. Sorry I wrote about them.

Sorry I saw and wrote about seeing these birds in inner city Brisbane.

I’m obviously stupid and won’t bother making bad observations and writing about them.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

Peak Warming Man said:

I’ve got bush stone curlews in the golf links behind me.

I don’t got any here.

From a recent Readers Digest. April 2023.

The rest of the story is about finding two baby bush stone curlews and parental protection of them.

They’re definitely moving into cities and towns where they never have been before.

Wasn’t there photos of one that came and stood at the front of a shop in Qld somewhere?

Non-birds seen in two days of ABBC watching.

Rabbit.
Black snake.
Seal.
Black rat (or similar Eg. Rakali), I didn’t have my glasses on at the time.

The seal came as a complete surprise. First time I’ve ever seen one in Port Phillip Bay.
And only a few km from home.