Most of your everyday bird observations will likely be logged into the General Birdata program. Regardless of whether you are recording birds on a bushwalk, keeping a list at your favourite camping spot, reporting an unusual sighting or a nesting bird, these can all go into the General Birdata program. Here you can use any survey type, from incidentals and bird lists, to more structured survey types such as the 2 hectare, 20 minute area search.

General survey data is powerful – it helps BirdLife determine bird movements, track threatened species, and identify important areas for our birds. Those more structured surveys, observations contributed by thousands of everyday people, form the backbone of our State
of Australia’s Birds reports. When doing a General Birdata survey, you may discover shared sites near you on the Birdata map – they are easy but valuable ways to contribute to a local research project. If you are birdwatching in or near an area that has been recently burned, consider completing the quick Bushfire Assessment feature while you are there.