The Birds With Altitude Project: Citizen science monitoring in the Wet Tropics

Ceri Pearce | Birds With Altitude Project Leader and Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator

The Birds With Altitude (BWA) project was initiated during BirdLife Northern Queensland (BLNQ)’s 2022 strategic planning meeting, in response to growing evidence that populations of rainforest-dependent birds within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area are declining due to climate change (Williams & de la Fuente, 2021; Garnett & Baker, 2021; Kowalski et al., 2022). According to The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020 (Garnett & Baker, 2021), 14 bird species or subspecies in this region are threatened.

The project was developed to engage citizen scientists in bird monitoring efforts, helping to collect critical data on population trends and distribution changes, while also raising awareness of the rich biodiversity and ecological importance of the Wet Tropics’ Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA).

In June 2022, BLNQ, with the support of BirdLife Australia (BLA), secured a $10,747 Queensland Government Sustainability Action Grant to initiate bird monitoring activities in Wooroonooran National Park, which spans 114,900 hectares of pristine rainforest.

As part of this project, BLNQ committed to conducting annual breeding season surveys at six sites within the Park. A core aim was to recruit and train volunteers – citizen scientists – in bird identification and survey techniques, using BLA’s Birdata app to enable data collection and monitoring efforts across Wooroonooran.

BWA volunteer team July 2023: morning tea after completing initial surveys in Wooroonooran National Park.

Group photo from the August 2024 Misty Mountains campout doing surveys at the 600m sites along Maple Creek Road. Photo by Ceri Pearce.

In partnership with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), a comprehensive project plan was created, and six monitoring sites were established in the Misty Mountains area of the National Park.

The grant funding facilitated the purchase of essential equipment – including binoculars, field guides, and safety gear – for use in these remote areas. It also enabled the engagement of respected local ecologist and ornithologist Dr Amanda Freeman, who developed a Wet Tropics bird monitoring information package and delivered three training workshops to 22 participants during September and October 2022. For those unable to attend, a training manual and recorded presentation remain available on the BLNQ website.

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One of the initial BWA training workshops at Lake Barrine in September 2022. Photo by Ceri Pearce.

The Wooroonooran National Park pilot project demonstrated the value and viability of community-led bird monitoring. However, the broader Wet Tropics World Heritage Area spans a much larger region and is increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as Tropical Cyclones Jasper and Alfred.

In light of escalating climate impacts, the BWA program was expanded in 2023 to include all five KBAs within the Wet Tropics: Atherton KBA, Coastal Wet Tropics KBA, Daintree KBA, Paluma KBA, and Wooroonooran KBA (home to Wooroonooran National Park).

Creek and surrounding rainforest along Lacey Creek Rainforest Walk, Mission Beach, Qld: Coastal Wet Tropics KBA. Photo by Jennifer H Muir.

As the three-year Queensland Government Sustainability Action Grant comes to an end, it’s a fitting time to reflect on the achievements of the Wooroonooran project and the broader BWA initiative.

Since June 2022, dedicated BirdLife volunteers have been actively applying their skills and knowledge to support bird conservation efforts. They have carried out systematic surveys: both 2-hectare, 20-minute area searches, and 500-metre area searches – within Wooroonooran National Park and across the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. All collected data has been entered into BLA’s Birdata platform, contributing valuable insights into bird populations and habitat health.

Southern Cassowary: Misty Mountains August 2024 survey. Photo by Ceri Pearce.

What we’ve achieved together: a snapshot

With the conclusion of the Queensland Government Sustainability Action Grant, we are proud to report that all grant requirements were successfully met. Here's what the BWA and Wooroonooran projects have accomplished since mid-2022.

Effective training and strong engagement

• 22 participants attended three induction workshops.

• A BWA training manual and recorded presentation were made available online for easy access and ongoing learning.

• In collaboration with Wren McClean and BirdLife Townsville, BWA featured at the Paluma Citizen Science Weekend (25–27 August 2023).

• Each year, 30 contributors (plus their support teams) actively submitted data to Birdata.

• Survey groups ranged from solo observers to teams of up to 21 participants.

More Birdata surveys than ever before

• An average of 52 surveys was completed each year in Wooroonooran National Park (range: 44–67).

• The BWA project expanded its reach to five Wet Tropics KBAs.

• Across the Wet Tropics KBAs, an average of 229 surveys was conducted annually (range: 223–239).

Community incentives and recognition

• Annual challenge competitions were held in 2023 and 2024 to encourage people to survey the Wet Tropics. These were generously sponsored by:

  
  

  • Mamu Tropical Skywalk

  • Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and

  • Murray Hunt, Daintree Boatman Wildlife Cruises

• In 2024, the BWA project was nominated for an Education, Research and Innovation Cassowary Award by the Wet Tropics Management Authority.

• At the Cassowary Awards in 2024, BLNQ was honoured with the Chair’s Award – a discretionary accolade recognising outstanding commitment to the conservation and presentation of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Birds With Altitude continues

While the Queensland Government-funded Wooroonooran pilot project has concluded this year, the BWA project continues.

There are many reasons to get involved and go birding in the Wet Tropics KBAs – not the least reason being the incredible fact that 45% of Australia’s bird species are found here.

A path in the rainforest near Kuranda: Atherton Tablelands KBA. Photo by Jennifer H Muir.

 By completing BLA-compatible surveys in these areas and entering your data into Birdata, you are directly contributing to the ongoing conservation of our unique and threatened Wet Tropics birdlife.

If you would like to get involved, get in contact with the Project Leader. And for more information about the project, or the 2025 Challenge Competition go to:

Birds With Altitude

Acknowledgements

• The Traditional Owners of the land on which this project is undertaken

• Queensland Government – for funding and support, the Sustainability Action Grant

• Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service – for their ongoing support and partnership monitoring Wooroonooran National Park

• BirdLife Australia for grant oversight, data management, and unwavering support

• BirdLife Northern Queensland, especially Communications Coordinator Renee Cassels and Treasurer Lindsay Fisher

• Wren McClean and BirdLife Townsville, for enabling the expansion of Birds With Altitude to Paluma

• Wet Tropics Management Authority

• All the individuals who have contributed their time and expertise to the of Birds With Altitude project by contributing bird surveys, for which we are deeply grateful

References

Garnett ST & Baker GB (Eds) (2021). The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Kowalski MB, Soifer L, Craig MD & Freeman AND (2022). Lower reporting rates after two decades for most bird species at a Wet Tropics Field Station. Australian Field Ornithology 39: 31–41.

Williams SE & de la Fuente A (2021). Long-term changes in populations of rainforest birds in the Australia Wet Tropics bioregion: A climate-driven biodiversity emergency. PLoS ONE 16(12), e0254307.