When the Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts the national census every five years, birdlife is not on the radar.
But our feathered friends are now in the frame – BirdLife Australia is conducting the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, a nationwide survey.
Anyone can participate in the survey, which involves spending 20 minutes in an outdoor area and recording the number and species of birds they observe.
BirdLife Australia's Holly Parsons said the experience is not necessarily aimed at the experience bird watcher but the everyday community member.
"We have an incredible array for birds that live with us in our parks, gardens and local patches of bush," she said.
"We wanted a way for people to get excited about birds to celebrate Bird Week, learn a little bit more and essentially be citizen scientists by sending us important information."
BirdLife Australia has developed the Aussie Backyard Bird Count app, which has a built-in field guide to help people identify birds.
Keen bird watcher Elizabeth Noble will try to participate in the count during Bird Week in her backyard in Brooklyn.
"I've been using the app, which makes it very easy, so if I have time I'll try to do it every day this week," Ms Noble said.
Bird Week starts on Monday and has been celebrated since 1901, but this year will be the first citizen bird count of its kind.
Birds such as magpies, rainbow lorikeets and cockatoos commonly populate urban areas, but Ms Parsons said she hoped the app would encourage people to collect data on less common species.
"Birds like the superb fairy-wren, the eastern spinebill and the red-browed finch are still around in suburbia but they are much less common than they used to be," she said. "We need to know where they are and what they are doing..
"The more people who participate, the better. We have a target of wanting to see 100,000 birds."
