Welcome to the EuroBirdwatch 2011 Information Page!

This was EuroBirdwatch 2011

Over the weekend of 1 and 2 October 2011, 80,000 adults and children observed the miracle of the bird migration in 37 European and Central Asian countries. They were enthusiastically taking part in EuroBirdwatch11, BirdLife International’s invitation to observe and learn about the fascinating bird migration, as birds fly to their wintering places in the south.

BirdLife Partners and affiliate organisations across Europe and Central Asia participated from Portugal to Kazakhstan, Cyprus to Finland – organizing 2,200 different events. As usual birds did not disappoint bird lovers: attendees counted close to five million birds of many different species pass overhead.

>>> See a list of all results

EuroBirdwatch - BirdLife’s annual birdwatching event in Europe - aims to raise awareness on bird migration, promoting needed actions 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 common event of BirdLife organisations is an appeal for safer flyways and to stop the loss of biodiversity,” says Fritz Hirt, the EuroBirdwach coordinator.

This year, BirdLife Partners organized various events to encourage people of all ages to go out, observe, explore and enjoy birds. They were mainly focusing on the protection of migratory birds in their breading areas, on the flyways and in wintering habitats. Bird observations were collected in each country and referred to the European Centre, coordinated by SVS/BirdLife Switzerland.

Spectacular ornithological observations

• Many countries reported huge swarms of starlings, making it one of the most observed species during this year's EuroBirdwatch.
• In Hungary, a Little Bunting was ringed which marked the fourth record of this species in this country. In Gibraltar, the first national record of the same species was made.
• Mass migration of cranes were observed in Lithuania, Ukraine and Eastern Slovakia.

Other Remarks:

• Especially northern countries reported sunny, late-summer weather. In Belgium, temperatures rose up to 27° Celsius.
• In Belarus, a professional registration of Cranes was carried out in the Yelnya National Reserve.
• In Finland, the national TV channel reported about EuroBirdwatch on the main news. In Belgium the national TV interviewed the bird observers in the field: This is the link: http://vtm.be/nieuws/belga/74720-vogeltellers-staan-paraat

About the Event

The EuroBirdwatch (European Birdwatch) is THE common event organized by the European national organisations of BirdLife International. Since 1993 usually on the first weekend in October the BirdLife organisations invite the public to explore the beauty of birds, especially to experience the magic of bird migration.

People are invited to visit the observation and information stands and a lot of other activities. From the observation stands the number of observed birds and the participating people is reported to the national centre of the BirdLife organisation and from there to the European Centre, which is run by one BirdLife partner.

This year for the first time, the Central-Asian countries were also included in this unique event.