The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey Details: Monitoring and Recording Data on Various Avian Species within New Zealand Domestic Gardens
The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey, the country's longest-running citizen science project, invites everyone to participate in its annual event. This year, the survey will take place between 28 June and 6 July, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to the monitoring of bird populations and biodiversity across New Zealand.
Participation is simple: 1. Visit the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey website to get started. 2. Choose a garden or local park where you will conduct your count. 3. Select any one day during the survey period. 4. Spend one hour looking and listening for birds in your chosen location. 5. Record the highest number of each bird species seen or heard at one time. 6. Submit your results online via the survey’s Take Part page on the website.
The survey is an invaluable resource for tracking bird population changes and biodiversity. By gathering data from many participants across different regions, researchers can gain a fuller picture of the state of local bird populations and environmental health. This information is crucial for detecting changes in bird distribution and abundance, informing conservation efforts, and enhancing understanding of how urban and garden environments support bird life.
For educators and students, the survey offers a wealth of learning opportunities. The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey website provides bird identification guides and tally sheets to facilitate participation and learning about native bird species. These tools can be used for classroom activities around ecology, biodiversity, and citizen science, engaging students in outdoor learning experiences and developing observation and data recording skills.
For more structured educational materials, such as lesson plans or detailed guides, educators might contact the survey organizers directly or explore complementary resources from local conservation or educational organizations. Additional support comes from signing up for newsletters like Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, curated daily news updates, which can keep participants and educators informed about the survey and related environmental topics.
Bird identification resources on the survey website help participants accurately recognize species, critical for valid data collection. If you need further assistance with bird identification, New Zealand Birds Online provides additional support.
The session, Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa - The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey, will unpack how classes can participate in the Garden Bird survey and will offer access to free New Zealand-based digital resources on birds, identification, and more. A video and slideshow presentation of the webinar can be downloaded for those who are unable to attend live.
Previous years' infographics from the Garden Bird survey are great for discussing communication in science. The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey website also contains these infographics, which have literacy components that students may need support to understand. The slideshow provides additional support for the video tutorial of the webinar.
Joining the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey is a fantastic way to contribute to scientific research, learn about local bird populations, and engage in educational activities. Don't miss this opportunity to make a difference and have fun doing it!
[1] New Zealand Garden Bird Survey website: [2] Garden Ecology Lab in Oregon: [3] Ministry of Education’s Connected series: [4] Article "Planning for your students to be citizen scientists":
Engaging with the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey not only promotes an appreciation for local bird populations but also contributes to home-and-garden research, as individuals share their findings from their personal gardens or local parks. This information can help researchers understand how urban and garden spaces impact bird life, thereby contributing to conservation efforts.
For educators and students, the survey presents a unique opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world research, as they identify and record bird species using the provided resources. Participating in the Garden Bird survey can serve as an educational platform for developing observation, data collection, and ecology skills, as well as fostering a greater understanding of biodiversity.
