Welcome to the 2026 Great Glossy Count
Thank you for registering as a volunteer for Australia’s fourth Great Glossy Count, 16-17 May 2026.
This citizen science event is taking place across the distribution of the South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and Victoria.
Data collected during the Great Glossy Count will support vital recovery planning and conservation work and informs habitat management for these vulnerably-listed birds.
In this kit is everything you need to be able to participate in the Count:
- Preparing for the Great Glossy Count
- Recording Glossy Black-Cockatoo surveys in Birdata
- FAQs for the Great Glossy Count
- Great Glossy Count data sheet (to print and take with you as a backup in case you cannot use Birdata on your device).
Please review these resources. If you have any questions, contact the Great Glossy Count team.
Once the Great Glossy Count has concluded, you can continue to record Glossy Black-Cockatoo sightings via Birdata.
Important contacts
Samantha or Elli: 0421 709 519 | info@glossyblack.org.au
Be prepared for the big day
Get to know fellow citizen scientists and sharpen your skills in identifying Glossy Black-Cockatoos at one of many free training sessions.
These workshops are designed to help you feel confident and ready for the Great Glossy Count. You’ll learn key techniques and tips before heading out into the field.
In these sessions you will learn:
- How to identify Glossy Black-Cockatoos by sight and sound
- Tips for distinguishing males, females, and juveniles
- Insights into Glossy ecology and behaviour
- How to recognise and record important feed trees
- How to age-class chewings (orts) in the field
- How to use the Birdata app for recording sightings during the Count
- Field safety and best practices for surveying
Whether you’re new to birdwatching or want to improve your survey skills, this workshop will help you make the most of the 2026 Great Glossy Count!
How to participate
Download and familiarise yourself with the Birdata app
- All volunteers must register before participating in the Count. If you haven’t already done so, you can do that here: https://birdata.birdlife.org.au/event/great-glossy-count-2026
- Make sure the Birdata app is downloaded onto your mobile device.
- Make sure you can access the “South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo” program. If you can’t view this program, you may need to update the app.
- Read the guide or watch the video on how to use Birdata. The guide is included in your welcome pack and the video is available here: https://bit.ly/BirdataApp
- You can use the Birdata app without an internet connection. Data will upload once you are back in range
- Site selection – once registered you will select your survey site. You will receive an email from Birdata<birdata@birdlife.org.au> with the subject line ‘Birdata Site Booking Confirmed’
This email includes details about your booking with the cell ID, booking code (for sharing with friends). It also includes the links to the booking page to edit bookings, a Google maps link as well as a link to the Conservancy GGC page.
Pack items to bring on the day of the Count
For Your Safety
- Mobile phone – bring an EPIRB or satellite phone if going to a remote area or participating on your own
- Power bank or battery pack for your devices
- Water and food
- Sunscreen, and insect repellent with at least 30% DEET
- First aid kit
- Appropriate clothing and footwear for outdoor activities
For Data Collection
- Binoculars are useful but not essential
- Camera (most mobile phone cameras will be fine if you do not have a camera with zoom)
- Mobile phone or tablet with Birdata app installed
- Notebook and pens/pencils in case you cannot use your device. If you use paper, you will need a map or GPS device to mark locations where you collect data
- Leave at home – do not bring drones, or dogs and other pets. Bringing these will likely disturb the birds and compromise your data collection.
On the day
Safety first
- Make sure you have all the items you need for your safety and for data collection
- Let a friend or family member know where you are going and when you will return
- Familiarise yourself with your allocated site:
- Conduct a site assessment (tracks and trails, terrain, creeks). If your site has been significantly impacted by floods or excess water in the landscape, do not proceed
- Know your entry and exit points
- Identify the nearest facilities and landmarks such as restrooms or service stations
Collecting data at your site
- Record your starting location and time in Birdata or in a paper notebook. In Birdata, submit an “empty” survey to log your location, fellow observers, and start time. Write “Start” in the Comments section (under the “Details” tab in Birdata)
- Look for she-oaks (Allocasuarina or Casuarina trees) and look below them for chewings
- Stay quiet and listen for the sound of Glossies calling or feeding (clicking of bill); these can be heard up to 50 metres away. If it’s close to dawn or dusk, check drinking sites
- If you can hear Glossies, head towards the direction of the sound, keeping an eye out for chewings as you go
- If you cannot hear Glossies, decide on a route to take to cover as much area of your site as you can
- Cover as much of the grid cell as you can, using tracks and trails where possible
If you find Glossies or feed trees
- Record your data in the Birdata app
- Do not purposefully disturb Glossy Black-Cockatoos to get a good photo or identification
If you don’t find anything
The absence of Glossies and their feed trees is important data, so please record this zero data at locations when you find no feed trees and no birds. Every 15 – 30 minutes, record data using the Birdata app, including time and location:
- Feed trees – in the “Details” section, for the question, “Did you observe a feed tree?” record “no”
- Glossy Black-Cockatoos – in the “Sightings” section, leave this blank
- Write “nothing seen” in the Comments section (under the “Details” tab in Birdata)
When you’ve finished collecting data at your site
- Well done! Record your end location and time in Birdata. In Birdata, submit an “empty” survey to log your location, fellow observers, and end time. Write “End” in the Comments section (under the “Details” tab in Birdata)
- If you recorded data on paper, make sure to enter data into Birdata later
