Last year, more than 547,000 birds were recorded thanks to the mobilization of 17,033 amateur observers across the country. In almost 40 years in Europe, bird populations have collapsed by 25%.
No need to be a specialist to contribute to scientific research … while spending a good time. These January 25 and 26, the National Museum of Natural History and the Bird Protection League (LPO) are organizing a bird counting weekend in France.
This session is open to everyone and “allows scientists to study the behavior of common birds during wintering”. The second annual session takes place in May to observe the birds during their breeding period.
“Even pigeons!”
On its site, the LPO explains the procedure to follow if you wish to participate. For this, nothing could be simpler: it is a question of choosing a one hour niche during the weekend. “Prefer the end of the morning or the early afternoon: the temperatures are a little warmer and the birds more active,” said the National Museum.
Find a place of observation, it can be a garden, private or public, a place in the countryside or even from your balcony. If you have twins, do not hesitate to use them.
The LPO provides a counting sheet where garden birds are identified to facilitate your work.
-“You will become the witness of a winged ballet which allows us to learn more about the health of the populations of birds of the gardens. Sparrows, chicks, red-gorges, sittelle … who will be there this year? And beware each species must be counted, even the pigeons! “, Writes the LPO.
547,000 birds recorded last year
How not to count the same birds several times? This is to note only the maximum number of birds observed per species. For example, “if you successively observe 4 blue chicks, then 2 and finally 1, note only 4 blue chicks and not 7 (4+2+1)”.
In addition, the LPO provides files so as not to confuse the species that are alike such as the domestic sparrow and the sparkle sparrow or the different swallows.
At the end of your small observatory session, you just have to enter your data on the website of theGarden bird observatory. “Compiled each year, they allow scientists to learn more about 'common birds',” adds the LPO.
In January 2024, more than 547,000 birds were recorded thanks to the mobilization of 17,033 observers. In Europe, bird populations collapsed by 25% in almost 40 years, or even almost 60% for agricultural environments.
