2023 Wellington Bird survey results

I've posted photos of native birds I occasionally see in my front yard a few times (here, here and here). The increase in birds visiting my home isn't really due to anything I've done (well, apart from not cut down native trees) - but is due to massive work over the last 30 years across Wellington.

It is hard to point the finger at one individual thing, but the main reasons have to be the local community predator free groups all over Wellington (you can find out more and join a local group at predatorfreenz.org) and the near-by Wildlife sanctuary; Zealandia. 

The impact is not only felt anecdotally by Wellington residents like myself - there is also a Wellington Native bird survey that has been completed since 2011. This years results are in now and there are some amazing findings, including the average number of native bird species counted each year has risen by 41 percent. Average annual counts show significant increases in Kākā by 260%, Kererū by 200%, Tūī by 85% and Pīwakawaka by 49%.

The summary of the latest survey can be found here, and the full report here (PDF Warning - 12MB).

"Bird communities in native forest habitats in Wellington City parks and reserves are becoming more diverse, creating improved opportunities for local residents and visitors alike to encounter a wider range of New Zealand’s native forest bird species in the heart of New Zealand’s capital city. One clear sign of this increasing level of engagement is the large and growing number of citizen science bird records that are being collected in Wellington City, with a total of 95,761 observations of native forest birds having been reported to date by local residents and visitors since 2011."