New Zealand Garden Bird Survey 2019
Citation
New Zealand Garden Bird Survey, Hayman E, Brandt A, Spurr E (2023). New Zealand Garden Bird Survey 2019. GBIF New Zealand. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/4p95qs accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-05-13.Description
This is the data from the 2019 New Zealand Garden Bird Survey (NZGBS), a citizen science project where participants count the maximum number of birds seen or heard in a survey area of their choice for one hour. The survey has been held annually since 2007 and runs for 9 days in late June/early July.
Note: this dataset contains additional variables using the measurement or fact extension (details about feeding birds (whether the observer feeds birds, the type of food fed, whether birds were fed in the survey area, whether birds were fed during the survey), whether there is a bird bath in the survey area, vegetation present in the survey area). These variables are visible when you view the details of a record. If you wish to use these variables you may need to download this dataset directly from our IPT installation.
Purpose
The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey (NZGBS) is a citizen science programme that surveys birds in urban and rural landscapes nationwide, engaging a wide range of New Zealanders since it began in 2007. As NZ’s longest-running annual survey of biodiversity at the national scale, these data can be used to detect changes in the distribution and abundance of bird species to inform environmental management and reporting, as well as support research programmes, at a variety of scales.
Sampling Description
Study Extent
The area surveyed is chosen by the citizen completing the survey. Participants are asked to choose a garden, park or school to complete the survey in. The type of area chosen is indicated in the data. Participants are asked to estimate the extent of the survey area and this is indicated in the data. Observations are undertaken in the survey area for one hour.Sampling
Participants record the maximum count of each species observed (seen or heard) within a one-hour period. They are also asked a number of questions about the survey area including: a description of the survey area (categorical, single-value: urban garden|urban school|urban park|rural garden|rural school|rural park); the size of the survey area (categorical, single-value: up to 100 m2|100-200 m2|200-400m2|400-600 m2|more than 600 m2); the vegetation type/s in the survey area (categorical, multi-value: Lawn and low statured garden (lawn, flower and/or vege gardens)|Shrub (shrubs less than 5 m tall)|Tree (trees greater than 5 m tall)|Other (with a comment field)); a series of questions about whether they feed birds: 1) whether the observer feeds birds (checkbox: true or false), 2) type of food fed (bread|fat|fruit|seeds|sugar water|other foods with a comment field), 3) whether birds are fed in the survey area (checkbox: true or false), 4) whether food was available during survey (checkbox: true or false); and whether a bird bath is available in the survey area (checkbox: true or false).Quality Control
Pictorial bird identification guides and tally sheets are provided via the NZGBS website to facilitate correct identification. Data are submitted via an online form. Date, time and location (obtained by participant entering the survey address into Google Places or clicking their location on a map in the form) are compulsory fields. The following are removed before the data are uploaded to GBIF: 1) true duplicates (i.e., entries that are completely identical to another entry), 2) entries completed by bots, 3) entries where the georeferences are outside the bounds of New Zealand as described in Geographic Coverage, and 4) records where no birds were recorded and the participant did not confirm, via tickbox or comment, that they observed no birds during that hour-long survey. Some entries in the uploaded data may appear identical but were submitted, for example, by different participants surveying the same location at the same time. Georeferences for surveys were deemed incorrect if the georeferences were within the bounds of New Zealand as described in Geographic Coverage but greater than 500 m from the coast of NZ. In these cases the georeferences have been given a georeferenceVerificationStatus of incorrect and the georeferences have been entered as verbatim georeferences. The data are not edited in any other way and represent the data as uploaded by each participant.Method steps
- Instructions for completing the survey: 1. Visit the NZ Garden Bird Survey website https://gardenbirdsurvey.nz/ to get started and download the tally sheets. 2. Select a garden, marae, or a local park or school grounds. 3. Choose any ONE day between 29 June and 7 July, 2019. 4. Look and listen for birds on that day for ONE hour. 5. For each species, record the HIGHEST number seen or heard at one time. 6. Submit the results online at the NZ Garden Bird Survey website - a link to the survey form will go live on the first day of the survey. New Zealand Garden Bird Survey website https://gardenbirdsurvey.nz/
Additional info
2019 State of New Zealand Garden Birds report: Brandt AJ, MacLeod CJ, Howard S, Gormley AM, Spurr EB. 2020. State of NZ Garden Birds 2019 | Te āhua o ngā manu o te kāri i Aotearoa. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln. ISBN 978-0-947525-67-5. Datastore site (previous and subsequent reports, other resources): https://datastore.landcareresearch.co.nz/organization/nz-garden-bird-surveyTaxonomic Coverages
Birds observed in New Zealand.
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Avescommon name: Birds rank: class
Geographic Coverages
Aotearoa - New Zealand: North and South Islands and Rakiura
Bibliographic Citations
- New Zealand Garden Bird Survey (2022): nzbirdsurvey2019. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Dataset/Occurrence. https://ipt.landcareresearch.co.nz/resource?r=nzbirdsurvey2019 -
Contacts
New Zealand Garden Bird Surveyoriginator
position: Citizen science project
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
76 Gerald Street
Lincoln
7608
NZ
email: nzgardenbirds@landcareresearch.co.nz
homepage: https://gardenbirdsurvey.landcareresearch.co.nz/
Ella Hayman
metadata author
position: Research Technician
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
76 Gerald Street
Lincoln
7608
NZ
email: haymane@landcareresearch.co.nz
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0683-1206
Angela Brandt
metadata author
position: Ecologist
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
764 Cumberland Street
Dunedin
9016
NZ
email: brandta@landcareresearch.co.nz
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5980-9128
Aaron Wilton
reviewer
position: Researcher
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
76 Gerald Street
Lincoln
7608
NZ
email: wiltona@landcareresearch.co.nz
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0359-5519
Eric Spurr
originator
position: Research Associate
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
76 Gerald Street
Lincoln
7608
NZ
email: spurre@landcareresearch.co.nz
Angela Brandt
principal investigator
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
764 Cumberland Street
Dunedin
9016
NZ
email: brandta@landcareresearch.co.nz
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5980-9128
Catriona MacLeod
author
position: Ecologist
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
764 Cumberland Street
Dunedin
9016
NZ
email: macleodc@landcareresearch.co.nz
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8435-410X
Ella Hayman
administrative point of contact
position: Research Technician
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
76 Gerald Street
Lincoln
7608
NZ
email: haymane@landcareresearch.co.nz
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0683-1206
Angela Brandt
administrative point of contact
position: Ecologist
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
764 Cumberland Street
Dunedin
9016
NZ
email: brandta@landcareresearch.co.nz
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5980-9128