Local 'birdman' documents more than 200 bird species in his community: 'This is where my life sort of began'

A 78-year-old has put his passion for birdwatching to work, documenting over 200 species. 

As ABC News reported, Geoff Looney has lived in Menindee, a remote west region of New South Wales, Australia, for 50 years. Over that time, he has explored the local lake system and recorded 209 bird species.

For Looney, Menindee holds a special place in his heart. 

"This is where my life sort of began," he told ABC. "I wouldn't want to live anywhere else." 

At just 28 years old, Looney moved to the area and immersed himself in its peaceful landscapes, starting out as a fishing tour guide and eventually becoming a birdwatching guide. 

He's written numerous books and captured photos of rare bird species, including a painted snipe.

Each month, Looney would take between 400 and 500 photos, though those numbers have since gone down. Having a local birdwatcher on the ground gathering data over the years has been monumental for conservation efforts in western NSW. 

"He certainly made great strides in his knowledge over the years," treasurer of the NSW Bird Atlassers Dick Cooper told ABC. 

"Contributing regular data from a particular area is really valuable to what we do. [It] gives us not only a view over a longer term but also differences in the different seasons that occur."

Looney has also served as a key voice advocating for the Menindee Lake system. He has spread awareness on the importance of shallow wetlands and their role in bird breeding, helping conservationists better understand the area's ecological significance. 

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Prior to his work, the Menindee Lakes were simply viewed as a "storage system," according to Dan Schulz, a water justice researcher at the Australian National University.

Looney's passion and environmental activism over the past 30 years have made him known as "the birdman" in Menindee. Schulz also told ABC that Looney has been "a pioneer in the citizen science space."

Throughout his time in Menindee, Looney has observed changes in the local ecosystem and bird populations. 

"We're probably lucky to find a hundred of them [birds] here in a year," he told ABC. "They've certainly dropped off to what they were, especially some of the small birds which are not sort of river-orientated."

However, despite these changes, Looney has also spotted a few elusive species, such as the red-capped robin and orange chat, both of which he hadn't seen in years.

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