EuroBirdwatch'08 results

Over the past weekend, 50.000 adults and children from over 30 European countries took up EuroBirdwatch 2008, BirdLife’s invitation to observe the fascinating migration, as birds move south across Europe for the winter. BirdLife Partners across Europe were involved - from Portugal to Turkey; Malta to Norway - between them putting together 2.900 different events. And the birds didn’t disappoint: attendees counted 2.3 million of them pass overhead.

EuroBirdwatch - BirdLife’s annual birdwatching event in Europe - works to raise awareness of the issues relating to bird migration, and promotes efforts needed to save threatened bird species and their habitats. For many BirdLife Partners the event provides an opportunity to reach new audiences, and to attract potential supporters.

This year, BirdLife Partners organized various events to encourage people of all ages to go out, observe, explore and enjoy birds. At various observation posts at each event people counted birds and the collated records (including attendees) for each event and country were referred to a European Centre, coordinated by SOS/BirdLife Slovakia.

Ornithological highlights were the first observation of Alpine Swift  in Estonia.
In the Netherlands was this year the first time in 20 years that Starling is not the number one on the list! There was a massive movement of Chaffinches, probably from Sweden. For public was first time organized boat trip to observe migrating birds in Nemunas delta in the Lithuania

The most frequently observed species were: 
1. Starling
2. Coot
3. Chaffinch

Notable accolades go to:
The country with the largest number of events was BirdLife in Russia (1 719).
The country with the most participants was BirdLife Spain (22 000).
The country with the largest number of birds observed was Netherlands (584 219).

BirdLife International just closed their World conference in Buenos Aires. The delegates form 112 countries decided a new four year programme to strengthen the efforts to save bird species to protect the important sites and to conserve their habitats. In 2009 BirdLife will initiate a new flyway initiative for the European-African migration route.

 

country

partner

events

participants

birds observed

three most abundant species

interesting observations and remarks

Belarus

APB

 121 2 689 26 912 1. Rook
2. Coot
3. Jackdaw

Belgium

VZW

 49   102 157 1. Chaffinch
2. Meadow Pipit
3. Cormorant

Bulgaria

BSPB

 23 226 13 297

1. Starling,
2. Coot,
3. Black-headed Gull

 Griffon Vulture; Dalmatian Pelican; Caspian Tern; Red-footed Falcon

Croatia

HDZPP

 13 54 15 702 1.Barn Swallos
2. Starling
3. Mallard		  

Cyprus

BirdLife Cyprus

 6 131 5 409 1. House Sparrow,
2. Spanish Sparrow,
3. Barn Swallow 		Unusual sightings included 2
Eastern Imperial Eagles which formerly bred here but now only occur rarely on migration and a Rook which has only been seen a few times on the island. Good migration of raptors including Red Footed Falcons, Black Kite, Booted Eagles and Honey Buzzards. Bee eaters, Barn Swallows and Sand Martins still migrating over island. Low numbers of waterbirds due to drought conditions.

Czech Republic

CSO

 44 863 67 522 1. Starling,
2. Wood Pigeon
3. Mallard		 Ospey (3), Grey Plover (3), Spotted Redshank (70), Curlew Sandpiper (2), Jack snipe (1), Pintail (1), Merlin (1), Pygmy Cormorant (1)

Estonia

EOS

 5 150 125 000 1. Barnacle Goose
2. Starling
3. Fieldfare		 First record of Alpine Swift (Apus melba) in Estonia

Gibraltar

GONHS

 4 200 2 000 1. Cory’s shearwater,
2. Yellow-legged gull,
3. House sparrow		 Large numbers of Cory’s shearwater (c.1000), Yellow-legged gulls, Northern gannets, two Sooty shearwaters (scarce in Gibraltar) and two Balearic shearwaters close to our Europa Point Marine Observatory as they pursued a large shoal of flying-fish that exited the water and were seen to be caught in mid-air by the shearwaters.

Hungary

MME

 157 2028 210475 1. Starling
2. Greyleg Goose
3. Black-headed Gull		 Arctic Skua, juvenile Arctic Tern, Barnacle Goose

Italy

LIPU

 39 634 26060 1.Yellow-legged Gull
2. Mallard
3. Greated Flamingo		 1 Pelican, 21 Caspian Tern

Latvia

LOB

 87 350 79 565 1. Chaffinch
2. Common crane
3. Great tit 		Kittiwake, late observations of Caspian Tern and Common Tern;
12 birdwatching excursions organised in co-operation with administrations of specially protected nature areas

Lithuania

LOD

 30 854 470 650 1. Eurasian Siskin
2. Chaffinch
3. Blue tit 		18 birds Buzzards in one place, 1 bird Black-winged Stilt in ponds, large number of great white herons in Nemunas delta; first time organized boat trip for public to observe migrating birds in Nemunas delta.

Luxemburg

LNVL

 2 80 1 600 1. Robin,
2. Blackcap,
3. Dunnock		 Yellow-browed Warbler

Malta

BirdLife Malta

         Not joining RIA

Montenegro

CZIP

 2 26 9 400 1. Yellow-Legged Gull Boat trip to National park Skadar Lake (organizer: NP Skadar lake) and field trip to Cemovsko polje (Cemovsko field).

Netherlands

VBN

 180 750 653 553 1. Chaffinch,
2. Starling,
3. Black-headed Gull 		Some of the most special observations were: 1 Little Bunting and 1 Rustic Bunting , 10 Yellow-browed Warblers, 3 Cattle Egrets , 6 Long-tailed Skuas and the first 2 Lesser White-fronted Geese of the season! This is the first time in 20 years that Starling is not the number one on the list! We had a massive movement of Chaffinches, probably from Sweden.

Norway

NOF

     99 807 1. Fieldfare,
2. Pink-footed Goose,
3. Herring Gull 		Woodchat Shrike, Yellow-browed Warbler, Lanceolated Warbler, Sabine's Gull, White Stork, Rosy Starling

Poland

OTOP

 125 2300 76 800 1.Starling
2.Crane
3. Mallard		 During the EBW 2008 in Poland Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Isabelline Shrike (6th observation in Poland) were spotted. Starlings were the most common, as every year.

Romania

SOR

 35 202 150 611 1. European Starling
2. Coot
3. Black-headed Gull

Russia

RBCU

 1719 10 833 111 303 1. Rock Dove
2. Crow
3. Rook		  

Serbia

ORNISS (LOA & BSPSV)

 13 103 29 650 1. Black-headed Gull
2. Starling
3. Coot		 Migrating Lesser-spotted Eagle, last Hobby and Barn Swallows, at the same time, first wintering Great Grey Shrikes, together with more than 20 resident White-tailed Eagles

Slovakia

SOS

 12 783 4 743 1. Mallard,
2. Great Tit
3. Pied Wagtail		 Observation and ringing of Bittern. Occurance the Little Stint and Dudlin. Biotope management in several marshlands and wetmeadows. Lectures for school, courses and bird recognition in parks. Competition in nest boxes and feeders building in Museum and School.

Slovenia

DOPPS

 10 136 6 769 1. Wood pigeon
2. Common Coot
3. Goldfinch 		Moustached Warbler

Spain

SEO

 134 22 000 66 000 1. House Sparrow
2. Spotless Starling
3. Common Chaffinch

Switzerland

SVS

 50 5 100 149 316 1. Chaffinch
2. Wood pigeon
3. Swallow 		Several ospreys, flocks of penduline tits, 1 black stork. TV station visited post.

Turkey

DD

 9 514 41 308 1. Coot
2. Rudy Shelduck
3. Mallard 		We had a minister of culture and tourism in our events which took place in Kars and district governon of Ayvalik in Balikesir. A griffton vulture was observed in Instanbul, Short-eared owl in Gosku Delta-Mersin and White-tailed Plover in Kuyucuk Lake-Kars.
Total 2 869 51 031 2 545 609

download >>> Press release 5. October 2008 20:00


     The focus is on the observation of the migratory birds with involvement the general public; within planning the events try accept these two specific articles:


- manage more events on places with high movement of the people (on attractive places for public as the parks, botanical gardens, promenades, beaches, tourist ways, city lakes etc., where it is possible to observe migratory birds). You can prepare information stand with some practical activities for children (painting birds, feeders building), you can promote „chat stands“ where you’ll give short lectures about birds, migration and protection.



- events with strict time or place of the start and end aren’t so interesting for public as the events where people can come in time convenient for them. So, try to organize more events, where participants would come during some part of the day. The events will be close to them, so they wouldn’t travel far away. They can come in time suitable for them. On these places ornithologists and volunteers will be ready for everybody interested in birdwatching or some of activities.

The main idea of the EuroBirdwatch 2008 is to do events and activities for general public and so increase the number of participants from public, promotion the birdwatching, birds protection and recruit of number the birds sympathizers.

  • The EuroBirdwatch is offering all BirdLife Partners a great opportunity to raise public interest in wild bird conservation, to promote their organization and to recruit new members.
  • It is a good way to put across the message of bird migration and how important it’s to protect bird's habitats, breeding areas, stopover sites and flyways.
  • Protection of Common birds living near the people is very important. Numbers of many species in the cities and countries decline. Within the events of EBW 08 we can promote to public this fact and give the information how we can help for better status of bird populations around us.
  • It’s a huge source of positive publicity in the European media for BirdLife International and its partner organizations.
  • It is a good opportunity to show how effectively the BirdLife network operates across national frontiers. And of course a Pan-European event like this serves to strengthen the common feeling of BirdLife Partnership.
  • All activities can attract potential supporter for conversations projects

Therefore every Partner is invited to participate on this mega event with some national activities. Joint activities between Partners are particularly welcome.

The RIA system is an additional action designed to provide the raw material for European press release that each Partner can adapt to suit its particular media campaign. You will get this press release by 20.00 h CET on 5 October 2008
 
Therefore, on 5 October we need for each country by 17.00 (CET) the following information:
1. number of events,
2. number of participants,
3. number of observed birds (individuals)
4. the three top bird species,
if possible:
5. spectacular ornithological observations
6. special happening, VIP visitors

Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife Slovakia, www.vtaky.sk, vtaky@vtaky.sk