Lane Cove, grab a cuppa and look up. The Aussie Bird Count is back, running from Monday 19 to Sunday 25 October 2026, and every 20 minutes you spend watching the birds in your backyard, street or local park helps build a national picture of how our feathered neighbours are faring.
Run by BirdLife Australia, the Aussie Bird Count is one of the country’s biggest citizen science projects. You don’t need to be an expert, own binoculars or know a currawong from a magpie. You just need 20 minutes and a bit of curiosity.
How to take part
- Register at aussiebirdcount.org.au.
- Pick your spot. Your backyard, balcony, local park or favourite bush track all count.
- Watch for 20 minutes and record every bird you see.
- Submit your count using the free Aussie Bird Count app (App Store or Google Play) or the online form.
You can count as many times as you like during the week. Not sure what you’re looking at? The app has a built-in bird finder to help you identify that mystery visitor. BirdLife Australia’s quick video below shows you how to use the app.
Win a pair of binoculars
Register and submit a count during Bird Counting Week and you’ll go into the draw to win one of five pairs of OM SYSTEM 10×50 S binoculars, valued at $279 each. Full details are in the terms and conditions.
What we counted last year
Australians smashed records in 2025. Nearly 64,000 people submitted more than 153,000 counts and tallied over 5 million birds across 621 species, with sightings coming in from as far afield as Christmas Island and sub-Antarctic Heard Island.
The Australian Magpie took out the top spot nationally, turning up on around half of all checklists. The rest of the top five were:
- Australian Magpie
- Rainbow Lorikeet
- Noisy Miner
- Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
- Magpie-lark
Rainbow Lorikeets were the most numerous bird counted, with more than 535,000 recorded, thanks to their habit of travelling in noisy flocks.
Two results will sound very familiar to Lane Cove locals. The Australian Brush-turkey is climbing the rankings in NSW (no surprise to anyone who has had their garden bed relocated overnight), and the Australian White Ibis, aka the bin chicken, has jumped from 23rd place in 2021 to 14th in 2025, doing particularly well in Sydney.
Read the full 2025 results.
Why it matters
Around 70% of counts happen in built-up areas, which makes suburbs like ours an important part of the picture. BirdLife Australia warns that smaller bush birds are declining as their habitat disappears, and one of the simplest ways to help is to plant natives in your garden that offer food and shelter.
The data you collect helps BirdLife track which species are thriving in our backyards and which ones need help. Not every visitor is a local, either. The common myna is an introduced species that competes with native birds for nesting hollows, so counting them matters too.
Where to count in Lane Cove
Your own backyard is perfect, but if you want to mix it up, try:
- Lane Cove National Park for bush birds along the river
- Blackman Park and the wetlands nearby
- Stringybark Creek bushland
- Tambourine Bay Reserve for water birds on the foreshore
Please follow BirdLife’s ethical birdwatching tips: keep your distance, keep noise down and never feed wild birds.
Schools, groups and businesses
The Aussie Bird Count also has resources for schools, community groups and businesses, so it’s a great one for the classroom, the office or your next walking group catch-up.
Share your sightings with In the Cove
Spotted something special while counting? We’d love to see it. Send your bird photos to the In the Cove WhatsApp tip line on 0470 490 417 (text only) and we’ll share some of our favourites.
The Aussie Bird Count runs Monday 19 to Sunday 25 October 2026. Register and find out more at aussiebirdcount.org.au.
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