SPRING has arrived and so has Australia’s favourite citizen science event with registrations now open for the 2025 Aussie Bird Count.

The annual event which has been running for the past 12 years is a national celebration of our diverse birdlife, from magpies and fairy-wrens to cockatoos, curlews and honeyeaters with WA offering some of the most photogenic and familiar bird stories in the country – from bold cockatoos in backyards to fairy-wrens flitting along urban bushland trails.

From Monday, October 20 to Sunday, October 26 BirdLife Australia is inviting people of all ages to take just 20 minutes out of their day to spot, identify, and count the birds around them.

Last year, more than 57,000 participants submitted nearly 130,000 checklists and logged more than 4.1 million birds across the country using the free Aussie Bird Count app.

Bold, adaptable species - the Rainbow Lorikeet, Noisy Miner, and Australian Magpie - again topped the charts. Will they swoop in for the top three once more in 2025?

Survey participants can go out and count as many times as they like during Bird Week as long as each count lasts 20 minutes and is submitted separately.

BirdLife Australia, the national bird conservation charity behind the Aussie Bird Count, says the event is an important step towards connection between people, place and purpose.

“It’s not about being a bird expert - it’s about spending time outdoors and learning something new about your local environment,” BirdLife Australia’s national public affairs manager Sean Dooley said.

“The Aussie Bird Count shows how citizen science can bring families and communities together while contributing to our understanding of Australia’s unique wildlife. A simple 20-minute activity can become an annual family tradition that teaches everyone about observation and nature.”

With more than a decade of data, the Aussie Bird Count results can provide BirdLife Australia with insights into trends in urban bird populations, contributing to a dataset that helps to guide future awareness campaigns, conservation priorities, and community education.

“Birds are indicators of environmental health and our mission is to save birds and the natural life systems on which they depend. One in six Australian bird species is now under threat, so taking note of the birds around us has never been more important,” BirdLife Australia chief executive officer Kate Millar said.

“It’s also often a first step on a longer journey of curiosity, from noticing birds to caring about them, and from caring to protecting,” she said.

“Whether you’re a regular birder or someone who just enjoys the occasional kookaburra laugh or lorikeet fly-by, we’re inviting everyone across the country to pause, step outside, and count the birds that share their skies, gardens, and daily walks.

“Whether you’re watching rainbow lorikeets on your balcony, ducks in your local pond, or fairy-wrens darting through your backyard, we want everyone to experience the joy birds bring. Communities that care about nature are communities that protect it.”

The free Aussie Bird Count app available at www.aussiebirdcount.org.au and visit the website to register.