Birdwatching in Sydney |
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with the Cumberland Bird Observers' Club | |
Bird Consultancy Services
With more than 500 members, the Cumberland Bird Observers Club contains a wealth of knowledge about Australian birds and, in particular, how to identify them and where to find them in Sydney. With this knowledge, the club assists many other organisations in bird related matters. The club's Bird Database is one of the major ways we can assist but here are some other ways we may be able to assist you:
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Sydney Olympic Park Authority - bird surveys
SOPA is committed to ecologically sustainable use and development of the park. Bird species richness and abundance is an indicator of ecological health, and bird monitoring data is an important tool for ongoing adaptive management and for assessing achievement of SOPA's corporate and legislative environmental objectives. To this end, each Spring since 2004 members of CBOC conduct simultaneous dawn surveys throughout the entire Olympic precinct as part of a continuing monitoring effort dating back to 1992. | 
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Gould League - Environment Projects 2005 thru 2007
The CBOC is a proud financial supporter of the Gould League's Let's Shape your School for the Future project which rewards schools for planning and working towards creating a sustainable future. Some of the ideas for improving the schools might be developing nature trails, creating indigenous or bush tucker gardens, building outdoor drama areas, introducing water reticulation systems from tanks, creating mini wetlands and frog ponds and even contemplating bigger plans such as involving several schools in rehabilitating a bushland area. | 
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Baulkham Hills Council - Birds as Indicators
In 2008 the CBOC joined Baulkham Hills Council, the Australian Museum and 10 local schools for the Birds As Indicators project aimed at assisting students, teachers and parents with a practical hands-on approach to natural resource management. The program uses birds as indicators of sustainability to educate students about environment conservation and biodiversity monitoring and management. The Birds As Indicators July 08 newsletter is available here as a pdf file (900kb) | 
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State Forests - beginner outings
Since July 2002, regular monthly outings have been held at Cumberland State Forest at West Pennant Hills to introduce members of the public to the wonder of Sydney's birds. Cumberland State Forest is an island of forest containing Boobook Owls, Satin Bowerbirds, Bell Miners and a myriad of small bush birds which are finding it tough to survive in Sydney's urban sprawl. Each outing lasts between one and two hours and finishes with a hot breakfast cooked by State Forest staff. These walks allow people to understand and see the relationship between plants and birds. | 
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National Parks - Pitt Town record keeping box
Bird observations made at Pitt Town Nature Reserve can be recorded in Sydney's first weather-proof record-keeping box thanks to the combined efforts of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the CBOC. The box contains record sheets for visitors to fill in and leave in the box for collection by a CBOC member. That data is then fed into the CBOC database and accessed by the NPWS. Record boxes of this sort are very popular in the UK but rare in Australia. The Pitt Town box has been in operation since March 2001. | 
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State Forests - bird surveys
Every month a number of CBOC members conduct bird surveys at two locations within Cumberland State Forest at West Pennant Hills. One of the locations has been undergoing bush regeneration and fire hazard reduction while the other survey area has not. By monitoring these locations for the long term (at least 5 years and probably a lot longer) we may be able to learn something about how bush regeneration techniques effect bird populations. This project began in 2000. | 
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Other beginner outings
* Since 1999, CBOC has assisted Strathfield Council with its annual "Breakfast with the Birds" at Mason Park. The park is home to migratory waders such as Latham's Snipe, Golden Plovers, Curlew Sandpipers and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. These birds make an incredible journey to Siberia in the northern summer in order to breed. * In 2003, Botany Bay Council asked CBOC to lead two outings for Heritage Week. The outings took place at some magnificent wetlands near Sydney airport. * Since October 2004, Cumberland Bird Observers have helped Baulkham Hills Shire Council with occasional outings as part of the council's Spring/Summer Walks Program. The 2 hour walks have been held in a number of different bushland reserves throughout the shire. * Since 2005, Cumberland Bird Observers conduct short morning walks in Parramatta Park on behalf of the Parramatta Park Trust. | 
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CBOC Memorial Fund
Money from the CBOC Memorial Fund is available for use on environmental or educational projects which have a focus on Australia's birds. Some recipients have been:
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