Shellharbour City Council and BirdLife Australia are calling on local residents to spend 20 minutes in their backyards or local outdoor spaces and count the birds they see for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count from 22 to 28 October.

Using a free app, which helps identify local birds based on size, colour and location, the aim nationally is to count more than 2 million birds in seven days.

Last year in Shellharbour 4427 individual birds were observed and recorded during the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, contributing to the national count of more than 1.9 million birds in 2017.

The four most commonly recorded birds in Shellharbour were the Rainbow Lorikeet, House Sparrow, Silver Gull and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.

Shellharbour City Mayor Marianne Saliba said Shellharbour had some fantastic places for bird watching, such as Blackbutt Forest, Killalea State Park and the shores of Lake Illawarra.

“This is a great initiative for local people to get involved with and it’s so easy. You can either go to a public place or do your own bird count at home,” Cr Saliba said.

Council also invites residents to a ‘Birds in Your Backyard’ nature talk with Dr Holly Parsons from BirdLife Australia at City Library on Wednesday 24 October from 5.30pm to 7:30pm.

Dr Parsons will speak about identifying local birds, the Aussie Backyard Bird Count and bird-friendly gardening. Bookings are essential. Visit http://libraries.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au/ or call City Library on 4221 6222.

For more details about the free Aussie Bird Count app, or to submit survey results online, visit www.aussiebirdcount.org.au.

For media enquiries about National Bird Week or the Aussie Backyard Bird Count contact birdweek@thecword.com.au or call 0428 300 090.

Shellharbour City Council media enquiries: Kelli Wells 0448 361 008.