With birds that were common in Victoria now extinct or endangered, the hobby of birdwatching has become a vital conservation tool.
With apps and websites featuring images and calls of birds from around the globe, it’s easier than ever to take up birdwatching as a pleasant hobby. A hobby that can also help global efforts to protect endangered species.
On a chilly Friday morning in Elsternwick, passionate ecological consultant Gio Fitzpatrick is taking a large group of would-be birdwatchers on a tour of the grounds of Rippon Lea Estate. The estate dates back to the 1860s. It has a rich, dense and diverse landscape that provides an oasis for a variety of birds that struggle to find safe habitat in other parts of Melbourne.
With Gio’s incredible skills at spotting and mimicking a variety of birds, the group is soon equally enchanted by sightings and appalled at learning of the extent of bird extinctions. It is the smallest of the birds who are most at risk.
‘With the arrival of Noisy Miners about 20 to 30 years ago, we lost about 10 species of birds that used to be fairly common,’ Gio says.
Gio has been a keen birdwatcher since he was young. He is keen to encourage people to experience a pastime that has brought him so much joy. He also wants to motivate people to take action to help protect birds and the environment that supports them.
He asks people to consider birds when gardening. Use local indigenous plants and include plants ranging in size from one to four metres high, as well as groundcover. This can create a refuge for smaller birds to escape from aggressive birds. Birds like the Noisy Miner and Indian Myna birds.
‘I think it's just as rewarding to see a common bird if you have managed to attract to your garden after it has not been there…knowing that you've created a habitat, and that a bird has found it, is magic. That's the element that I find really rewarding and addictive.’
Gio is pleased, and unsurprised by the positive feedback he receives from his talks.
‘Once people get a little introduction into birdwatching, they often get hooked on it. Because it's just such an enjoyable thing to do.’
For those new to birdwatching, Gio recommends the eBird app. It enables you to find photos and listen to the call of birds known to be in your area. You can list your own sightings too. This part of a global Citizen Science project that aids conservation efforts.
‘I think a lot of people probably would imagine that the common birds that live alongside us would be pretty well studied and pretty well understood. Actually the opposite's true so everyday observations by people can actually be of enormous value,’ Gio says.
Another useful resource is the Birdline Victoria Facebook . This group enables people to post images and discuss wild bird sightings.
‘It’s for unusual sightings, but it's great to keep an eye on because you never know when something amazing might turn up in your local area,’ Gio says.
‘A lady who came to one of my walks had a very blurry photograph taken at Mount Eliza Beach. And, just in silhouette, it looked like something that absolutely did not belong in Victoria, let alone in Mount Eliza. It looked like a Frigate bird, which is a more tropical seabird. I encouraged her to post it on Birdline, which she did the next day and now dozens of people at Mount Eliza are looking for this Frigate. There would be people coming from all over the place,’ he laughs.
Gio’s Bird Life Walk and Talk was one of the activities organised by the City of Glen Eira as part of The City Nature Challenge. A program which aims to connect people with nature and enhance the city’s biodiversity.
Many local councils provide guides for planting indigenous plants in your garden, which can help attract native birds.
Rippon Lea Estate is running Bird Spotting Tours on Thursdays this October. Visit the Rippon Lea Estate website to find out .
Reviewed 09 November 2023