Australia has over 700 species of birds, but our birds are in trouble with many native species having declined in abundance and diversity. Woodland birds in particular have declined significantly because of loss or modification of their habitat from land clearing.
The greatest loss of small native bird species has been in our cities and urban areas where they are under threat due to bigger ‘bully' birds that dominate. Bigger, more aggressive birds, such as noisy miners, magpies, ravens and kookaburra's favour more open areas where they can fly through easily driving small bird species away as they have no shelter to hide in. When you go outside do you hear native birds? Can you identify the species that you hear?
Bird ornithologist Professor Harry Recher warns to be worried if you cannot hear native birds when you go outside. Professor Recher provides an informative reason for the decline in our bird species Australia wide in this Youtube interview titled ‘The plight of Australia’s small birds’.
Gardens can play a valuable role in providing food, shelter and safety for small bird species. Good bird habitat in the garden includes a mixture of nectar producing, insect attracting and prickly native plants planted in a cluster which provides food, safe nest sites and protection from bigger bully birds (and cats). Your garden can make a valuable contribution to protecting our native birds by making it bird friendly. To learn more about how you can provide food, shelter and safe bird habitat go to the ‘Advice' section of the Gardens for Wildlife web site.