Counting for conservation

Dunedin's beautiful Town Belt is home to many treasured bird species. You can help these birds by spending just five minutes counting what you see and hear.

There are ten bird count signs on a trail in the Town Belt. Visit any sign on any day at any time, and for five minutes record all the birds you see and hear around you.

Every count helps us to monitor the bird life in the Town Belt and to better understand the health of the ecosystem.

Find out more about the project

 

 A place for the birds

The Town Belt is an important part of Dunedin's rich natural heritage and is home to many precious native species. The five-kilometre-long patchwork of native and exotic forest, parks and sports grounds provides a lush corridor of habitat for birds to feed in, nest in and move through the city.

Knowing which birds are present in this area helps us understand how populations are changing, and to monitor the progress of predator control and habitat restoration. 

Find out more about common birds of the Town Belt

Become a citizen scientist

Doing a five minute bird count is an easy way to learn more about birds and improve your bird identification skills. Count at just one sign or visit all ten, count alone or with friends, at any time of day. Repeat the counts on other occasions as often as you can. This is an on-going project.

Your counts will contribute important data about the birds in the Town Belt and will help with future conservation efforts.