The plaque, nestled on Barraba's Bicentennial Riverbank Park, pays tribute to the late Russ Watts AM and his wife Jenny Watts.

In the 1990s, the pair partnered with the former Barraba Shire Council to cement the town's status as the birthplace of Australia's bird routes.

Tamworth Birdwatchers member Denise Kane, who organised the event, said what began as a vision by two passionate individuals has grown to become an Australia-wide network.

"People come from everywhere to visit the bird routes - Norway, Finland, all around Australia," she said.

Within Tamworth Regional Council (TRC), bird routes consist of sites over a 180 kilometre area, home to over 283 native birds.

Many of the routes are part of old drovers' trails known as Travelling Stock Routes (TSRs).

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Ms Kane said TSR bird routes are habitat for about 40 vulnerable species of native birds.

"It's astounding that we have that many locally vulnerable birds," she said.

"Tamworth Birdwatchers have tried to educate the public about this, and at the moment we have a display at the TRC foyer which is a collection of our interpretations via paintings, photographs, art and craft and poems."

Tamworth mayor Col Murray unveiled the memorial, and said he admired the passion of the local birdwatchers group.

Himself hoping to become a keen birdwatcher upon retirement, he said he was happy for TRC to follow in the footsteps of Barraba council in recognising the benefits of native birds and the eco-tourism the trails create.

"It's great that we had such passionate and strong people like Russ and Jenny Watts to hit the go button on a wonderful community project like this," he said.

"Who knows what in 50 to 100 years time birdwatching might mean to Barraba, it certainly has established a strong footprint in the TRC area."

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