Find 5MBC studies

Since the 1970s there have been hundreds of studies using the 5MBC method.

We have collected together information about these studies (called metadata). We do not have the data itself but you can see where and when 5MBC studies have taken place in New Zealand.

5MBC studies (MS Excel, 420K)

DOC's 5MBC database

A database has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to hold old five-minute bird count data. The database has over 500 studies amounting to over 100,000 counts. Below is a list of all the datasets that are currently in the database.

Datasets in the 5MBC database (MS Excel, 162K)

Obtaining data

To obtain data from the database email the 5MBC Data Administrator

Please note:

  • Some of the datasets have restrictions on their use. For most of these it is a matter of contacting the data owner for permission to use the dataset.
  • There are quality issues with some of the data in the database as we have not yet run a full data validation.
  • The database holds mostly data from old datasets.
  • We cannot accept new electronic datasets at this stage but are interested in historical datasets.

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Learn more

What bird? website
Photos, descriptions and bird calls of native and introduced birds in New Zealand

Formak website
Advice on how community groups and land owners can monitor the condition of New Zealand native forest ecosystems

Ornithological Society of New Zealand website
An independent site containing information on the distribution of birds in New Zealand

Contacts

Phone 0800 DOC HOTline (0800 362 468) 24 hour emergency number to report:

Sick or injured wildlife
Whale or dolphin strandings

Conservation for prosperity. Tiakina te taiao, kia puawai