QUEANBEYAN residents are being encouraged to take part in the annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count this month in an effort to help track and protect native birds.

It’s one of the nation’s largest conservation events, run by BirdLife Australia, and last year more than 108,000 people across the country recorded about 4.6 million birds during the count.

Given many NSW students are undertaking learning from home this year, Birdlife Australia public affairs manager Sean Dooley hopes even more young Australians will take part in this years count.

“In 2020, there was an increase in the number of participants under 15 years of age participating in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count,” Mr Dooley says.

“Over the past two years we have also seen less than 7 per cent of counters in the under 15 age group, so it would be great to have more of our younger Australians involved.”

Information gathered during the week long count will feed back into BirdLife Australia’s databases and provide a much clearer picture of what’s happening with local bird populations across the country.

At last years count, rainbow lorikeets finished on top of the bird count list, with more than half a million counted throughout the country.

Miners, magpies, sulphur-crested cockatoos and galahs made it in the top five most counted bird species list whilst the white ibis finished in tenth spot.

“Rainbow lorikeets have finished on top every year since the Aussie Bird Count began in 2014,” Mr Dooley says.

People can take part anywhere, not just in backyards, but in in local parks, gardens, school yards or bushland.

“With so many of us forced to slow down during the COVID lockdown, we suddenly have became aware that birds are all around us, no matter where they are,” says Mr Dooley.

“This year is our eighth count, and we’re hoping it will be our biggest yet.”

The Aussie Backyard Bird Council will be held from October 18 to 24.

To register and for more information go online to aussiebirdcount.org.au