House sparrow, blue tit or robin… Count garden birds with the LPO

The Garden Bird Observatory is today the most important French participatory science system involving the general public. The League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) meets the French on January 25 and 26 to observe birds in their gardens, balconies or in public parks. This major national count, organized twice a year since 2012, is one of the main participatory science initiatives in France. Each observation allows scientists to follow the evolution of the most common bird populations.

To participate, you don't need to be an expert! All you have to do is choose a location, observe for an hour, note the species identified and the maximum number of individuals seen simultaneously, then transmit the data to the Oisedesjardins.fr website. Descriptive sheets are available to help novices recognize birds.

All eyes are on the stone-crushing grosbeak

During the January 2024 edition, 17,033 participants recorded more than 547,000 birds. This year, familiar species such as the house sparrow, the blue tit or the robin should once again be in the spotlight. But all eyes will also be on the stone-crushing grosbeak, sightings of which have been on the rise since the fall, recalling the massive influx in the winter of 2017-2018.

This friendly and useful event, organized with the National Museum of Natural History and the French Biodiversity Office, is a great opportunity to discover local biodiversity while contributing to its preservation.