Birdlife
Australia’s NSW and ACT annual Twitchathon will be held over the weekend of 31
October and 1 November to raise funds for the organisation.
Teams of birdwatchers competing
in the Twitchathon have 24 hours to find as many species as possible. They have
obtained sponsorships from friends, families and colleagues. The Twitchathon has become very competitive with teams
not just competing for the highest score, but for the most dollars raised prizes
or even the Lucky Twitcher’s Prize.
The
funds raised in the Twitchathon are for projects related to the study of and
conservation of native birds and their habitats. Some of the projects assisted in the past
have been:
- · Hunter Shorebird Roost Site Protection Project
- · Murray Valley Bush Stone-Curlew Captive Release Project
- · Greater Sydney Powerful Owl Survey Project
In the
last three years approximately $25,000 was raised each year.
This
year’s Twitchathon will provide funds to continue the support given in 2011 and
2013 to the Powerful Owl Project. This will
enable the project to be extended for a sixth breeding season.
The Powerful Owl Project uses
citizen science and a team of volunteers to monitor the threatened Powerful
Owls (Ninox strenua) in Greater
Sydney providing detailed information on their breeding success, habitat use,
mortality rates and diets. The information
gained is used to determine the species’ conservation status and assist in
developing management recommendations for their continued survival in urban
areas.
The
Clarence Valley’s Twitchathon team is the Black-necked Stalkers.
Anyone
wishing to sponsor this team can contact Dr Greg Clancy at gclancy@tpg.com.au
