Goldfinch are among a few bird species showing declines in numbers nationally. Photo: Manaaki Whenua/Tom Marshall
Kiwis are being asked to keep an eye out for feathered friends this weekend, as this year's New Zealand Garden Bird Survey gets underway.
Each year since 2007, bird-watchers have sat down for an hour and note which species they see in their backyard, and how many.
The data helps researchers discover trends in bird numbers.
"It's especially beneficial to have higher participation for detecting when a regional trend is different to the national trend," Manaaki Whenua / Landcare Research senior researcher Dr Angela Brandt said.
"It's especially important this year as we've noticed house sparrows, goldfinches and chaffinches are actually declining from a moderate to a rapid rate over the five-year period.
"Adding another year of data will help us understand if this trend is continuing, or if 2023 was an anomalous year for bird counts."
Amy Boyce's brilliant shot of a song thrush was chosen as the winner of the NZ Garden Bird photo competition in 2023 and graced the cover of the State of NZ Garden Birds Photo: Manaaki Whenua/Amy Boyce
If you need help telling sparrows apart from kererū, the survey website has a handy identification guide - with both images and recordings of the sounds each species makes.
"If bird populations are changing significantly, it's an alert that something is either working, for instance predator control, or something might be going wrong," Brandt said.
"There could be an increase in predators or changing temperatures could be reducing food and shelter."
The data collected in New Zealand also contributes to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
A promo image for the Garden Bird Survey. Photo: Landcare Research / supplied
Visit the NZ Garden Bird Survey website for details on how to take part.