There are many publications such as the Australian Government’s State of the Environment report that describe some of Australia’s biodiversity as endangered or threatened.
The obvious question to ask is how the authors of these reports know that a particular insect, plant, bird, or mammal is declining in abundance or is at risk of extinction. Are these kinds of statements reliable or are they simply an opinion?
In each case, there is a dedicated workforce of ecologists from conservation organisations, government departments, and universities that collects biodiversity data. Added to this workforce are people from all kinds of backgrounds who work as citizen scientists to provide scientifically valid information about where each species lives and how many there are.
A Rocha Australia contributes to this national undertaking by participating in BirdLife Australia’s Birdata project (https://birdata.birdlife.org.au). Birdata is a key national repository of information about the populations and distributions of Australia’s birds.
Since 2019, ARA members and supporters have conducted 550 individual surveys in habitats such as wetlands, mallee, rainforest, farmland, and revegetation plots. 487 of these have used the standardized protocol of recording all birds within a 2 ha area for 20 minutes. This method standardises the survey effort so that the information can be compared with surveys undertaken at different times or at different places. The remainder of surveys were incidental reports, or surveys made over a larger area. A Rocha has conducted repeated surveys in QLD (Toowoomba), NSW (Alleena), SA (Aldinga) and Victoria (Glenhope and Glenaroua).
Altogether, 200 different bird species have been recorded during ARA surveys and include common species such as Welcome Swallow and Australian Raven to less known species such as Superb Parrot, Inland Thornbill, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, and Spotted Nightjar. Our sightings contribute occurrence information about national and state threatened species.
Birdata provides a wealth of information for decision-makers who need to know where Australia’s birds live and how populations are faring. The information can be used to assess the criteria that define the technical meaning of endangered or threatened, and inform birdwatchers where birds live. The Birdata website and app are readily accessible and can be used by anyone, and some records are incorporated in national databases such as the Atlas of Living Australia and the Australian Threatened Species Index.
If you would like to contribute to A Rocha’s survey effort by making regular surveys of your local bushland, park, backyard, or other special place or join an A Rocha survey then please contact [email protected].