Birds count for protection: Take part in the next winter campaign!

Birds count for protection: Take part in the next winter campaign!

An interesting bird count is coming up! From January 4th to 6th, 2025, BirdLife Austria is calling on all nature lovers to closely observe their surroundings and count winter birds for an hour. This comes at a time when the 2023 observations were remarkably sobering - with only 32 birds per report, which, although an increase compared to the previous year, highlights the long-term negative trend in bird populations in Austria Small newspaper reported. BirdLife calls on the population to get involved and to revive long-known methods, such as counting in the garden or on the balcony.

To make participation easier, less experienced bird watchers can also benefit from special online bird quizzes that help participants recognize the different species and thus participate more effectively in the count. The data from the counts are crucial for the protection of bird species, explains Gábor Wichmann, Managing Director of BirdLife Austria.

Bird identification as a community project

In addition, an exciting bird counting event will also take place in Switzerland in the near future: the “Hour of the Garden Birds” by BirdLife Switzerland, which is scheduled for May 7th to 11th, 2025. The aim is to record the diversity of bird life while the participants get active in their gardens, from their balconies or in parks. The campaign is supported by a range of materials, including an online learning resource about bird songs, which promotes a playful approach to bird identification, such as BirdLife Switzerland reported.

The initiatives in both countries demonstrate the value of the counts as an important citizen science project. They help promote biodiversity and enable citizens to actively contribute to research and the protection of their natural environment.