5 Minute Bird Count - Autumn 2026
- Jun 7
- 2 min read
A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our Autumn 5 Minute Bird Count in May.
Over the weekend of the 8th and 9th of May, volunteers spent five minutes observing and recording the birds they could see and hear at sites around the harbour. These counts are a simple but powerful way to help us build a long-term picture of bird populations across the area.
What Did We See?
This autumn, 26 checklists were completed, recording 583 individual birds across 28 species.
Of the 28 species recorded, 15 were native birds, accounting for approximately 63% of all observations.
Most Commonly Recorded Species
The most frequently observed species during the May count were:
Red-billed Gull – 102
South Island pied oystercatcher (SIPO) – 90
House Sparrow – 69
Blackbird – 53
Tūī – 47
Variable Oystercatcher – 38
Southern Black-backed Gull – 32
Sacred Kingfisher – 17
White-fronted Tern – 16
Song Thrush – 15
It's encouraging to see native species featuring so strongly among the most commonly recorded birds. Below is a graph of the native birds recorded during the May count. Of note, a bellbird was marked as being heard at two separate locations, but none were sighted.
The strong presence of coastal birds also highlights the importance of Whangamatā Harbour and its surrounding habitats for shorebirds and seabirds.
Building a Long-Term Picture
This was our second seasonal bird count, following the Spring survey completed in November 2025.
While the spring count recorded more birds overall (797 birds across 33 checklists), it is still far too early to draw conclusions about trends or changes in bird populations. Bird numbers naturally vary between seasons, weather conditions, and survey effort.
What these surveys do provide is a valuable baseline. As we continue collecting data over the coming years, we'll begin to build a clearer understanding of how bird communities around the harbour are changing and where conservation efforts are having the greatest impact.
Thank You
Community science projects like the 5 Minute Bird Count rely entirely on the enthusiasm of local volunteers. Every checklist contributes to our understanding of the harbour ecosystem and helps us track the health of our local birdlife.
Thank you to everyone who took part. We look forward to seeing you again for our next count.
— Corinne Bowie
