Half a decade of citizen science efforts has been released as conservationists continue to learn more about Victoria’s birdlife.
The Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater’s (FOHH) citizen science program have undertaken observations and surveys since 2020, which has resulted in a trove of bird data.
159 standardised bird surveys took place and some interesting findings can be drawn from the data.
FOHH shared the data through a Facebook post on 29 September which included a bar chart representing the data.
“Apart from the significant benefits of sharing knowledge about Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area (YNCA), and developing observational skills in participants, much can be learnt from the data collected.
“There is a wealth of knowledge to learn, and share, from a joyful few hours in the bush with like-minded people,” the post read.
Using the six seasons in the Middle Yarra Timelines Calendar of the Wurundjeri people, the chart represented from one to six how many seasons each bird was observed in.
The division of the year into four seasons isn’t accurate for Victoria as it was brought over from Northern Europe when the British colonised Australia.
Around 122 species were recorded from the surveys and there were 12 birds recorded which were not on the historical list such as the satin bowerbird.
The data can be viewed here: tinyurl.com/4vkvuy2u
