The Australian Museum is digitising the extensive notes and photographs of Michael Sharland, the prolific naturalist who wrote under the alias Peregrine, with help from University of Sydney students. The work coincides with the annual Aussie Bird Count, which has already logged more than a million bird sightings this week.
More than a century after Michael Sharland began recording Australia’s bird life, his scores of diaries, 2600 photographic negatives and 1600 prints are being digitised at the Australian Museum. Sharland, who died in 1987, filled notebooks with observations from Tasmania to Lord Howe Island and wrote vividly about birds for newspapers including The Sydney Morning Herald.
Museum engagement manager Darcy Campbell said the records are valuable today, noting a renewed interest in field notebooks. Students Jasmine Digges, Neha Jyoti and Nidhi Dabadghav are helping with the digitisation. Dabadghav described Sharland as “almost like a poet” for his lyrical writing about lyrebird displays.
Sharland and associate Tom Tregellas made history in 1931 by broadcasting the first live recording of a lyrebird’s call, using a microphone wire run a mile into the bush. The publicity helped protect the species, which had been hunted nearly to extinction.
The current Aussie Bird Count, running until Friday, is the nation’s largest citizen science event. Last year 64,000 participants submitted 5 million data points, helping researchers track bird populations and ecosystem health at a time when H5N1 bird flu is a concern.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The digitisation of historical naturalist records provides a baseline for tracking bird population changes over nearly a century, which is critical as bird flu and habitat loss threaten species.
- The project connects students from non-biology backgrounds to citizen science, fostering a broader appreciation for biodiversity and data collection.
- Sharland’s work shows how public engagement and storytelling can drive conservation outcomes, a lesson for modern environmental campaigns.
Background
Michael Sharland, who wrote under the pen name Peregrine, was one of Australia’s most prolific naturalists. He kept detailed field diaries and photographs of birds across the country, from Tasmania to Lake Eyre, and wrote newspaper articles that popularised bird conservation. His lyrebird recording in 1931 is credited with helping save the species. After his death, his collection was passed to the Australian Museum. The current digitisation effort involves University of Sydney students, many studying medicine, health and computer science, who are learning to appreciate the natural world through historical records. The annual Aussie Bird Count is run by BirdLife Australia and involves thousands of citizen scientists conducting 20-minute bird surveys.
Key Perspectives
Darcy Campbell (Australian Museum): The records are important today, and there is a growing interest in field notebooks among students. Scientists still use Sharland’s egg and nest records to understand breeding patterns.
Students (Jasmine Digges, Nidhi Dabadghav): Working with the collection has changed how they think about life and science. Digges sees parallels between observing birds and understanding patients holistically in her medical studies. Dabadghav notes the blend of empirical science and poetic writing in Sharland’s work.
Modern birders/citizen scientists: The bird count provides crucial data on population trends and ecosystem health, especially with the arrival of H5N1 bird flu. Participants range from retirees to a new generation of birdwatchers.
What to Watch
- The completion of the digitisation project and whether it leads to new scientific insights from historical data.
- The final tally of the 2026 Aussie Bird Count and any notable shifts in bird populations.
- Potential partnerships between museums and universities to digitise other natural history collections.
- The impact of H5N1 bird flu on urban bird populations as monitored by the annual count.
