New South Wales Bird Atlassers Inc

The NSW Bird Atlassers Inc. continued to collect, store, evaluate and publically report on trends identified in the native birds found within New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and the Tasman Sea east to Lord Howe Island. The NSW Bird Atlas database is an inventory of the birds of the region and a comprehensive picture of aspects of the biology of each species, including essential information on the status, distribution, breeding and seasonal changes for each species. Currently, our database exceeds 10 million records. Information drawn from the dataset thus offers the foundations on which to plan and implement effective management programs for specific species. The longterm nature of the dataset adds costeffective value to environmental and specific conservation strategies and efforts within the region. Records are stored based on areas measuring 10minutes of latitude by 10minutes of longitude. Each being approximately rectangular, average ~290 km² though varying slightly with latitude. This scale was adopted having regard for the actual extent of the total area from which data is gathered, the topographic variations across the landscape. and a desire to accurately map each species' distribution at a manageable level. The entire area of interest is subdivided into ~5400 of these 'cells/blocks'. Of those cells, 52% include a land component, the remainder are marine environments. Multiple surveys exist for most of the ~2800 land cells with less than 12 mainland blocks have not been surveyed because of access difficulties. Monitoring the birds at this scale across this large area is a challenge that has been embraced by an active and dedicated band of volunteers. Outcomes have been very positive and demonstrate that more than half of all native birds have declined of the past 40+ years. Data collection and analysis are ongoing. * Wherever practicable, information drawn from our dataset is made available to government, nongovernment, community orgaisations, researchers or concerned members of the general public on request. Recent enquiries have focussed on potential negative impacts of Renewable Energy Zone developments on threatened species in particular and habitat loss to native bird and animals more generally. * During 202324, the NSWBA contnued to donated copies of NSW/ACT Atlas oublications, each publication being valued at a minimum of $145 per copy State Government staff working in environmental fields, nongovernment scientific or other academic entities, schools, community organisations and members of the public. * Further, the NSWBA continued to further raise awareness of the serious declining trends in native birds populations within NSW and the ACT highlighting he impact of going loss of habitat from land clearing, degradation and fragmentation, invasve speces and land and water management policies that negatively affect all native creatures. * and we assisted construction of an osprey nesting platform program