They’re living in the city

For many years I have participated in the annual Aussie Bird Count run by Birdlife Australia but have regularly been dismayed by the results. Appearing near the top of the bird sighting lists every year are several birds that though seen around Flowerdale and Yea are certainly not in the numbers that would warrant being top-ten contenders.

But now that I am spending time in the city I know why those species are near the top of the list. They are living here. Without doing an actual bird count the three most numerous birds I have observed around my new inner-city locale are the Rainbow Lorikeet, Noisy Miner and the Australian Magpie-Lark.

Surprise, surprise this agrees with what the survey has been telling me for years. In 2025 Aussie Bird Count they ranked 2^nd, 3^rd and 5^th respectively.

Next time I see a Rainbow Lorikeet in Flowerdale I won’t get so excited. I’m over them.