Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Black Kite (male and female) length 58 cm length 53 cm Dollarbird length 27 cm Torresian Imperial- Pigeon length 40 cm Black Butcherbird length 41 cm Red-collared Lorikeet length 30 cm Eastern Koel Australasian Figbird length 42 cm length 28 cm Rainbow bee-eater length 24 cm Tawny Frogmouth length 44 cm Red-winged Parrot length 32cm Crimson Finch length 13 cm White-breasted Mistletoebird Magpie-lark Double-barred finch Woodswallow length 17 cm length 10cm length 28 cm length 10 cm OF DARWIN Lemon-bellied Grey-crowned Brown Honeyeater Blue-faced honeyeater Striated Pardalote Flycatcher Babbler length 27 cm length 14 cm length 28 cm length 9 cm length 18 cm Orange-footed Scrubfowl length 45 cm Bush-stone Curlew Bar-shoulder Dove length 56 cm length 28 cm Masked Lapwing length 36 cm For inquiries about birds and domestic gardens, contact: BIRDS IN BACKYARDS www.birdsinbackyards.net t (02) 9647 1875 AUSSIE BACKYARD BIRD COUNT www.aussiebirdcount.org.au t (03) 9347 0757 BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA www.birdlife.org.au t 1300 730 075 Printed on recycled paper Birds in Your Garden How to bring back the little ones… Providing water: Australia-wide, populations of many of our small bird Birds need fresh water but they are vulnerable when species are declining. Once common birds such as they are drinking or bathing and need to feel safe. finches, fairy-wrens, silvereyes and small honeyeaters, We should: are becoming rare or, in some places are no longer đƫ place birdbaths beyond the reach of cats, and in being seen at all. There are many reasons for this, dappled shade. but the biggest is the loss of places for them to live đƫ grow plants close to birdbaths so birds can perch (habitat) and successfully raise their families. and observe the area first. đƫ replace the water and clean the water container This situation exists in both rural farmlands and regularly. in built up urban areas; from big cities to rural đƫ ask a neighbour to add water when we’re away, townships. That means that we can all contribute so the birds don’t lose their water supply. towards saving our small birds irrespective of where we live or how big our gardens are. We just need to Provision of supplementary food: do things a little dierently. It is much healthier for birds to glean natural food Small changes for a big dierence . from our gardens than to be fed directly by people. However, many people really enjoy the contact they Garden design and structure: have with birds that they provide food for. If you Simple open gardens provide little shelter or food for want to provide extra food for birds make sure that: birds. We need to plant: đƫ the feeding area is kept really clean. đƫ dense shrubs close together so they form đƫ you don’t feed meat-eating birds – encourage the protective thickets. small birds that are declining, not their predators. đƫ shrubs that provide a range of foods: nectar, đƫ only provide good quality natural foods, e.g. seeds, fruit and habitat for insects. finch seed rather than bread. đƫ local plants that provide what the birds in our local areas need. Be a responsible pet owner: đƫ below trees, creating a dense protective Keep your cat inside or within an outside enclosure. understory. This is safer for the cat as well as other wildlife đƫ less grass for mowing, but rather use native đƫ De-sexing prevents unwanted kittens. grasses that can seed and only need cutting đƫ Deter other cats from entering your yard by occasionally. spraying them with water. We should: To find our more about the birds in your area, creating đƫ avoid using chemical sprays or applying chemical gardens and habitat for birds at home, in school fertilizers. grounds or any open spaces, or undertaking bird đƫ use lawn clippings and leaf litter on garden beds surveys in your own garden or local area, see the as mulch. Birds in Backyards website www.birdsinbackyards.net Photographers: Andrew Silcocks (Bar-shouldered Dove, Black Kite, Bush Stone-curlew, Red-collared Lorikeet), Wojciech Dabrowka and Kevin Vang/Bird Explorers (Masked Lapwing, White-breasted Woodswallow, Brown Honeyeater, Red-tailed Black-Cuckatoos), Nicole Young (Crimson Finch, Pied Imperial Pigeon), Chris Tzaros (Dollarbird), Dean Ingwersen (Double-barred Finch, Black Butcherbird, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Red-winged Parrot, Orange-footed Scrubfowl), Kerrie Brailsford (Eastern Koel), Nolan Caldwell (Blue-faced Honeyeater), Richard Major/Australian Museum (Magpie-lark), Ray Simula (Grey-crowned Babbler), Jon Irvine (Mistletoebird), Ed Pierce (Australasian Figbird), Shanagh Gamble (Tawny Frogmouth) BirdLife Australia Suite 2–05, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053 T 03 9347 0757 | [email protected] ABN 75 149 124 774 116845_BIB Victoria A4.indd 2 5/09/12 12:06 PM.