高清福利片

Despite their ubiquity, aspects of 鈥榖ig city鈥� birds like the Sulphur-crested cockatoo, the Australian White Ibis, the Australian Brush-turkey, and species of corella remain mysterious to scientists.

Researchers at The University of Sydney and Taronga Conservation Society hope to change that: they have launched the Big City Birds app, that allows anyone to record these birds鈥� whereabouts, note the status of their nests, and observe whether they are tagged.鈥�

Using the Big City Birds app or , every person in Australia can be a citizen scientist and report when they see any of the five bird species,鈥� said Big City Birds co-creator, Matthew Hall, a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney鈥檚 School of Life and Environmental Sciences.

鈥淒espite the name of the app, these birds can be found practically everywhere 鈥� in the city, on a farm, or in the bush.鈥�

Users can also report:

• whether the birds are marked with a wing tag, banded, or with a unique paint combination on their back
• bird nests, including tree hollows and nest mounds, and provide updates on the success of the nests
• additional information about bird behaviours, and the different foods birds are eating or scavenging.

The data collected will help scientists understand these species鈥� movements, reproduction, adaptive behaviours, and habitat choice.

鈥淲e aim to use this information to help understand the behaviours that have allowed some bird species to adapt to the challenges and opportunities of living with humans,鈥� Mr Hall said.

Big City Birds builds on the team鈥檚 previous, successful bird-tracking apps, including the Brush-turkey app.

Joint project leader, Dr John Martin, a research scientist at Taronga Conservation Society and an Honorary Associate at the University, said: 鈥渢he Big City Birds app and website replaces the Wingtags and Brush-turkey apps 鈥� so we encourage you to download the app, try out the new features, and report the new Big City Birds species!鈥�

The previous apps received tremendous community interest over recent years, collecting over 50,000 sightings from over 5,000 participants.

鈥淭his community support has helped us learn about cockatoo social networks, birds鈥� novel adaptations to habitat and foraging resources, and Brush-turkeys expansion from the bush into the city,鈥� Dr Martin said.

鈥淚t is breeding season at the moment and we鈥檙e starting to receive reports of Brush-turkey chicks. This species has a unique breeding system; the chicks receive no parental care. If you see a chick, it isn鈥檛 lost and in need of help 鈥� it has to fend for itself. You can help us learn about when and where chicks are hatching, and continue to report sightings as they grow using the Big City Birds app.

鈥淵ou can also report the nests of all of our study species. We鈥檙e specifically interested to learn more about where cockatoos, ibis, and brush-turkey choose to nest.

鈥淟earning how these birds are adapting to and exploiting cities informs how we can enhance wildlife diversity in our cities. It also provides people with an opportunity to connect with nature in their day-to-day lives.鈥�

Declaration: This project received funding from Birding NSW.

Hero image: A Brush-turkey chick. Credit: Dr John Martin.