How to Get Involved In the Aussie Bird Count

Brisbane Kids love wildlife, and we are blessed to have so many amazing native species in our local area. Sometimes we take these for granted, or simply go about our busy lives without always noticing the amazing creatures right in our own backyards or local parks & green spaces. Which is why the Aussie Bird Count is so awesome! It gets kids outside, focusing on the birds they can spot all around them, and doing their bit towards bird conservation too!

What is the Aussie Bird Count?

The Aussie  Bird Count is the biggest citizen science project in Australia!

Organised by BirdLife Australia and their Birds in Backyards Program, the bird count is an annual event that takes place during National Bird Week. The event is a national effort to count and record the bird sightings made by people across the country in order to create a pool of vital information to help BirdLife Australia in their efforts towards bird conservation.

This year’s Aussie Bird Count will take place from the 20 – 26 October 2025 and is an excellent chance for kids and adults alike to head outdoors and get to know, appreciate and help to save our unique feathered friends! With an aim to count a million birds in seven days they need your help!

What do we need to do to get involved?

1.  Download the FREE Aussie Bird Count App

If you have an Android or iPhone product, you can download the FREE Aussie Bird Count App by following the links at aussiebirdcount.org,au. This will instantly give you access to live statistics and details such as how many people are taking part in the count near you, and the number and species of birds already spotted in your area and throughout Australia.

If you don’t have access to the app, don’t worry! You can still take part in the Aussie Bird Count by visiting aussiebirdcount.org.au and submitting your bird count here. Prizes are on offer this year for everyone who submits a count. 

2.  Head outside

Set aside around 20 minutes though my kids have struggled to spend this long and that’s ok – do your best! You can do your bird count any day or time that is convenient for you during the whole of National Bird Week. Simply head out to your favourite outdoor space, whether that’s your backyard, local park, school yard, national park or even beach — wherever you want to do your bird spotting!

3.  Look out for birds!

Ideally, you should aim to spend 20 minutes counting the birds you see. Then look out for birds, either with binoculars or just the naked eye, and record all the birds that you see. If you’re unsure of the species of any birds, there is even a handy Field Guide built into the app and on the website to help you identify them!

4.  Submit your bird count

When you’ve finished your bird count, simply submit your checklist via the app or on the Aussie Bird Count website here.

How will the bird count help?

BirdLife Australia is our country’s largest, independent, not-for-profit bird conservation organisation dedicated to maintaining a bright future for our wonderful native birds.

The information you gather during the Aussie Bird Count will provide BirdLife Australia with important data to help them do this. It will give them details such as the bird species that are living where people live, which areas have more birds, and what size populations the various species have.

This will give them an insight into the trends in our bird communities and will help them to identify which birds are doing well and which are not doing so well.

Above all, taking part in the Aussie Bird Count will help our kids to connect with nature. Spending a period of time focused on spotting birds will help them to really notice the amazing creatures we have on our own doorsteps. They will feel like little wildlife detectives as they identify the different species.

Plus, they will learn that their individual efforts can make a big difference towards bird conservation, and that’s a pretty cool thing for a little one to achieve!

More information

For loads more information about the Aussie Bird Count, head to aussiebirdcount.org.au. Plus you can check out their FAQs here, for answers to queries such as whether you can submit more than one checklist and what to do if you hear a bird but don’t see it.