Guides With kids
National Bird Week: 19 to 25 October 2026
Aussie Bird Count with kids
Pick one spot, watch for 20 minutes, and jot down the most of each kind of bird you see at once. It runs 19 to 25 October 2026, all ages are welcome, and the app is free. BirdLife BirdLife FAQ
- When
- 19 to 25 October 2026 Monday to Sunday, during National Bird Week BirdLife
- How long
- 20 minutesper count, as many counts as you like BirdLife
- Where
- One spota backyard, a window, a park: anywhere in Australia BirdLife
- Send it
- App or web formthe app is free; the web form goes live in mid-October BirdLife FAQ
- Who
- All ages“all ages and experiences”, says BirdLife BirdLife
How does the Aussie Bird Count
work? Twenty minutes, one spot, and the most of each bird you see at once. Here’s BirdLife Australia’s method, step by step. It’s Australia’s biggest citizen science event, and your family’s tally lands in the national results. BirdLife
We’re an independent site, not part of BirdLife Australia. Sign-ups, counts and results all go through BirdLife.
- Sign up first. A grown-up makes an account with BirdLife (a name and an email address). Then download the free Aussie Bird Count app, or use the web form on BirdLife’s site, which goes live in mid-October. BirdLife BirdLife FAQ
- Pick one spot. A backyard, front yard, courtyard, window or local park all work. Stay put: BirdLife says to count from one spot, not on a walk. If you want to be exact, keep to about 80 m around you. BirdLife BirdLife FAQ
- Watch for 20 minutes. Any time of day is fine. Birds are busier at dawn and dusk, says BirdLife, so you may see more then. BirdLife FAQ
- Write down the most at once, not every visit. For each kind of bird, record the biggest number you saw together at one time. BirdLife’s example: three magpies pop in, fly next door, and two come back. That’s three, not five. BirdLife FAQ
- Not sure? Leave it out. Try the bird finder in the app (about 400 of the more common birds), and look at size, shape and colour. A bird you only hear, or one flying over, counts if you’re sure what it is. Still stumped? BirdLife asks you to leave it out rather than guess. BirdLife FAQ
- Send it in, even if you saw nothing. Counting together? Send one count for the group: the app and form ask how many people were counting. BirdLife wants every count, even with few birds or none. BirdLife FAQ
- Go again. Count as many times as you like, from as many places as you like, during the week. BirdLife BirdLife FAQ
Bird watching with kids
works best when everyone has a job. Here are three, so nobody’s stuck waiting. And it’s 20 minutes of looking up, not down.
- Spotter
- The eyes and ears. Scans the trees, fences, roof lines, lawn and sky, then points and whispers: “Two black-and-white birds on the fence.” A good first job for little ones.
- Counter
- Keeper of the big number: the largest group of each bird seen together. If three magpies fly off and two come back, it stays at three.
- Recorder
- Writes the numbers on the tally sheet (or taps them in), minds the timer, and only adds a bird once everyone agrees what it is.
One child? They can do all three, with a grown-up helping to write. More than three? Swap jobs halfway, or have one spotter for the ground and one for the sky.
- Sit where you can see sky, trees and lawn. The back step or a picnic rug is perfect. BirdLife’s rule is one spot, sitting or standing. BirdLife FAQ
- Quiet voices, slow moves. BirdLife’s birdwatching code says to walk slowly, speak quietly, and keep a distance that doesn’t stress birds, especially near nests. BirdLife
- No bird calls from a phone. The same code asks birdwatchers not to use call playback. BirdLife
- Hands off. “Take only pictures”, and avoid handling birds. BirdLife
- Want more? If the kids count again later on their own, those counts can go in separately. Teachers can get BirdLife’s free lesson plans. BirdLife FAQ BirdLife
Common backyard birds in Perth
and the rest of WA? Start with BirdLife’s top 20 for the state: the birds counters reported most often in 2025, ranked by reporting rate, which is the share of counts that recorded each bird. BirdLife BirdLife FAQ
WA, 2025 countShare of counts
- 1
Australian raven
48.9% - 2
Red wattlebird
41.2% - 3
New Holland honeyeater up from 4th
38.1% - 4
Willie wagtail up from 5th
37.4% - 5
Australian magpie down from 3rd
37.0% - 6
Galah
35.7% - 7
Australian ringneck
32.9% - 8
Rainbow lorikeet not native to WA
28.8% - 9
Laughing dove
23.7% - 10
Brown honeyeater
22.4% - 11
Australian white ibis
20.9% - 12
Singing honeyeater
15.9% - 13
Welcome swallow up from 14th
14.9% - 14
Magpie-lark down from 13th
13.0% - 15
Silvereye
12.9% - 16
Common bronzewing
12.0% - 17
Western wattlebird up from 23rd
10.9% - 18=
Laughing kookaburra up from 20th
10.4% - 18=
Little corella up from 21st
10.4% - 20
Silver gull down from 18th
10.3%
The rainbow lorikeet isn’t from WA. It’s a declared pest here, and has been established in Perth since 1968, from fewer than 10 escaped or released birds. It still counts for BirdLife, so tally it like any other bird. DPIRD BirdLife
Magpie fan? There’s more in the magpie guide, including why you shouldn’t feed them.
Bird count tally sheet
for kids: print it, or fill it in on your phone. It lists WA’s top 20, with spare lines for surprise visitors. When you’re done, copy the “most at once” numbers into BirdLife’s app or web form.
Should you feed wild birds
to bring more in for the count? No. Put out water, not food. In WA it’s an offence to feed native wildlife without lawful authority. DBCA BC Act s 155
Do
Hurt, sick or on the ground? A young bird with feathers is often fine: leave it alone and watch from a distance. If it’s injured, ring the Wildcare Helpline on (08) 9474 9055. DBCA If it’s sick or dead, don’t touch it: ring the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888, as H5 bird flu has been found in WA. DPIRD
Aussie Bird Count app
or web form? Either one works. These are the questions people search most, each answered in its first line. BirdLife FAQ
When is the Aussie Bird Count in 2026?
Is the Aussie Bird Count app free?
Yes. BirdLife says the app is free for iPhone and Android, from the App Store or Google Play. No smartphone? Use the web form on BirdLife’s site instead; it goes live in mid-October. BirdLife FAQ
Do you need to register for the Aussie Bird Count?
Yes, you need a BirdLife account. It asks for a first name, last name and email address, and a phone number only if you want to enter the prize draw. A family counting together sends one count for the group, so one grown-up’s account will do. BirdLife BirdLife FAQ
Where are the Aussie Bird Count results?
Is it illegal to feed wild birds in WA?
Yes, unless you have lawful authority. Section 155 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 says: “A person must not feed fauna unless the person has lawful authority to feed it.” DBCA says the same in plain English, and asks you to put out fresh water in a bird bath instead. BC Act s 155 DBCA DBCA
Our reading of the Act, not legal advice.
Sources, checked 9 October 2026
- Aussie Bird Count BirdLife Australia project page (no date shown): 19 to 25 October 2026; birds seen in a 20-minute period; count anywhere in Australia, including a backyard, front yard, courtyard, window, park or school yard; for all ages
- Aussie Bird Count 2026 BirdLife Australia event page: Monday 19 to Sunday 25 October 2026, “held over National Bird Week”; “Australia’s biggest citizen science event”; Australians “of all ages and experiences”
- Aussie Bird Count BirdLife Australia’s count site: 20 minutes in one outdoor space; app or web form; “You can count as many times as you want”; free lesson plans for schools
- Frequently asked questions BirdLife Australia: count from one spot, not on a walk (about 80 m radius); any time of day, more birds at dawn and dusk; record the highest number seen together at any one time; leave out birds you’re unsure of; heard and overhead birds if identified; app bird finder of about 400 species; one count per group; send counts with few or no birds; the app is free; web form live from mid-October; reporting rate is the percentage of surveys recording a species. (Its dates section still gives 2025’s times.)
- Register for the Aussie Bird Count BirdLife Australia: an account is required; first name, last name and email; phone number optional, for the prize draw
- 2025 results BirdLife Australia: 63,990 participants, 153,855 surveys, 5,014,889 birds, 621 species; national top five; the magpie in one in every two surveys; links to each state’s top 20
- Top 20 birds - WA BirdLife Australia, published 22 May 2026 (one page, via Calameo, linked from the 2025 results page): WA ranks and reporting rates, 2021 to 2025
- Ethical birdwatching BirdLife Australia (no date shown): keep a distance that doesn’t stress birds, especially nesting ones; walk slowly and speak quietly; no call playback, spotlights or drones; avoid handling birds; take only pictures
- Wildcare Helpline DBCA: “Do not feed wild birds”; fresh water in a bird bath; bread and milk can harm birds; baby birds on the ground; the helpline number; H5 bird flu notice
- Supporting wildlife in urban areas DBCA: “Feeding wildlife is illegal without an authority”
- Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (WA), s 155 as at 25 Sep 2025
- H5 bird flu in Western Australia DPIRD, updated 9 Oct 2026: don’t touch or move sick or dead wild birds; report them on 1800 675 888 (24 hours); injured wildlife to the Wildcare Helpline
- Rainbow lorikeet DPIRD (no date shown): a declared pest in WA south of the Kimberley; established in Perth since 1968 from fewer than 10 escaped or released birds
We’re an independent site, not part of BirdLife Australia, and we don’t receive anything for linking to the count. Rankings are BirdLife’s, for WA as a whole, not for Perth alone.