In the Macedon Ranges we have had more than 227 species of birds recorded and of this, 18 per cent are considered threatened with extinction.
Bird Blitz 2022
The 2022 Bird Blitz day was cancelled due to severe weather and flooding – but the birds are still being counted!
We have had bird leaders taking out teams to survey sites in November. We have surveyed the Bald Hill Reserve, Black Hill Reserve, the Newham area and most of the Riddells Creek region. Thanks team!
Biodiversity Project Officer Tanya Loos, is currently surveying the rest of the sites with volunteers – and we are on target to complete all 84 sites by 1 December 2022. After this point we will analyse the data and report back – how many species of birds were seen, and information such as the number of threatened birds and introduced species. We will also be able to report which of our biolinks has the most number of birds, and the most diverse species list. Last year it was Mount William.
Thank you to all those that have expressed interest in future bird walks and workshops – we are very much looking forward to presenting some great bird activities in 2023!
In the meantime, we highly recommend the Birds in Backyards program. Presented by BirdLife Australia, this program guides beginner and intermediate birdwatchers through undertaking four seasonal backyard surveys. The program has fantastic resources on bird identification and behaviour, and on bird-friendly gardens.
2021 survey
On Saturday 23 October 2021, we coordinated 84 bird surveys across the shire as part of the annual Bird Blitz event.
Some notable findings were:
- A pair of nesting Bassian Thrush were detected on Mount Macedon. This is the first every record of this species on the mount.
- A rare, all-white (leucistic) Grey Currawong was spotted in Lancefield.
- Satin Flycatchers were detected at several sites with few official records of this species prior to our surveys.
- A Brown Quail was also recorded at Mount Gisborne with only 7 official records of this species in the shire
Officers will now collate the data, upload it to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas, and produce a short report on the findings comparing the surveys of the past three years.
2020 survey
In the 2020 Macedon Ranges Bird Blitz, 94 species were recorded including five threatened species across twelve sites. The surveys recorded 2,575 individual bird observations. All records have been uploaded to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (VBA).
There were some interesting sightings including five threatened species, the first official record of Brush-Bronzewing Pigeons, and the occurrence of unusual visitors such as the Nankeen Night Heron and Scarlet Honeyeaters. Future surveys will help determine if these species represent a growing trend in bird movements or if these were isolated observations.
For full survey details on our Bird Blitz, view our survey report for 2020(PDF, 2MB)
2019 survey
On 19 October 2019, we hosted our inaugural Bird Blitz with 83 citizen scientists undertaking 58 bird surveys across the shire. In the days following, an additional 20 surveys were completed by Council, the Woodend Bird Observers Group and other community volunteers. A survey of 79 sites across the Macedon Ranges has revealed some exciting discoveries and rare bird species found within the region.
Significantly, the bird surveys recorded 2,769 new observations and a total of 97 different species. Five of the bird species are listed as threatened including White-bellied Sea Eagle, Pied Cormorant, Hardhead Duck, Brown Treecreeper and Black-chinned Honeyeaters.
Other interesting discoveries included White-winged Trillers, a rare visitor to the region, in large numbers across multiple sites around Kyneton and an unusual observation of a Western Gerygone was recorded in Barringo.
For full survey details on our Bird Blitz, view our survey report for 2019(PDF, 3MB)
The 2019 survey was the first of its type in the Macedon Ranges and an important milestone in the implementation of our Biodiversity Strategy. All survey data and information will form a long-term dataset which will allow us to monitor landscape changes and threats to biodiversity.
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