Get your binoculars ready and join the flock to make this year’s Aussie Bird Count the biggest yet.

The Aussie Bird Count, run by BirdLife Australia every October, is one of the nation’s biggest citizen science projects.

BirdLife Australia’s Sean Dooley, who regularly appears on ABC Radio and is affectionately known as “The Birdman”, has called on avian lovers across the Kiama, Shellharbour and Shoalhaven local government areas to join this year's annual count from October 20-26.

“The Aussie Bird Count invites people of all ages to spend 20 minutes observing and counting the birds around them,” he said.

“We are asking citizen scientists to keep their eyes peeled in backyards, from balconies, at local parks and schoolyards across the region during the nation’s biggest bird count.”

Participants just need to download a free mobile app, which includes a field guide to help identify birds, and count the different species they see around them. Last year, more than 57,000 citizen scientists counted 4.1 million birds.

So why sign up?

Dooley, a national birdwatching champion who once held the record for seeing the most birds (703) in one year, came up with the idea for the Aussie Bird Count more than a decade ago to raise awareness of the increasing number of endangered birds.

BirdLife Australia collaborates with experts, landholders, communities and governments to conserve and protect Australia's native birds and their habitats, and Dooley said citizen scientists played an important role in preventing extinctions and protecting breeding sites.

“To save birds from extinction, we need reliable data,” he explained.

“The data collected through the Aussie Bird Count app helps BirdLife Australia understand bird populations and how they are affected by environmental changes.

“One in six Australian birds faces the threat of extinction, making it more important than ever to pay attention and look for the amazing stories birds can tell us about the health of our environment.

Welcome Swallows. Photo: Aussie Bird Count

“The national snapshot of birds in our backyards takes just 20 minutes to help build a picture of how our feathered friends are faring and contribute to something that really counts.”

BirdLife Australia also has a year-round Birdata platform, a crucial tool in safeguarding the future of many endangered species by providing accurate information about bird populations and their habitats.

Birdata is compiled by professional researchers and citizen scientists and is Australia’s longest-running digital database for bird sighting, with BirdLife Australia using the data to feed into a national bird conservation strategy aimed at stopping extinctions by 2032.

According to Birdata, the most commonly seen bird in the Kiama LGA year-round is the Australian Magpie, followed by the Crimson Rosella and the Australian Raven.

“Each time a Birdata survey is submitted, it is added into our huge database, and directly contributes to BirdLife Australia’s conservation actions,” Dooley added.

“It’s how we can collectively and easily gather scientific data to gain greater insight into Australia’s birds and ultimately protect them. Every Birdata survey submitted makes a difference.”

Rainbow Lorikeet. Photo: Andrew Silcocks.

Over 100,000 citizen scientists have contributed almost 2.5 million surveys to Birdata and there are more than 30 million bird recorded on the database.

Birdata has recorded 326 species of birds in the Kiama LGA.

The 10 most common are:

Australian Magpie

Crimson Rosella

Australian Raven

Magpie Lark

Grey Fantail

Welcome Swallow

Willie Wagtail

Superb Fairy-wren

Eastern Spinebill

Lewin’s Honeyeater