According to bird counts, sparrows are the most common birds in Switzerland
Published: Sunday, Jan 7th 2024, 18:40
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In a "census" of birds in gardens and parks in Switzerland, bird enthusiasts have counted over 10,000 birds. House sparrows were spotted most frequently, followed by great tits and blue tits, as the organizer Birdlife Lucerne announced on Sunday.
Around 400 volunteers counted 1536 sparrows between Thursday and Sunday as part of the "Hour of the Winter Birds" campaign. This was followed by great tits with 928 birds and blue tits with 833 birds counted.
According to Birdlife, a total of 81 different bird species were reported. These include rare winter visitors such as the rock bunting, redwing, middle spotted woodpecker and grey-headed woodpecker.
According to the bird protection organization, the milder winters have also left their mark. During the count, the participants also spotted a number of birds that would normally spend the winter mainly in the Mediterranean region. These migratory birds include the European goldfinch, white wagtail and black redstart.
Great tits in 9 out of 10 gardens
Although the house sparrow came first in terms of absolute numbers, it did not make it onto the podium in terms of distribution. It was observed in 65 percent of gardens and parks during the census. The great tit, on the other hand, was found in nine out of ten gardens, followed by the blue tit (84 percent of gardens) and the blackbird (80 percent of gardens).
According to Birdlife, around 40 birds were observed per garden, a similar number to previous years. This is above average compared to neighboring countries, according to Birdlife. This is also due to the fact that flocking birds such as alpine choughs and black-headed gulls are often found in residential areas in Switzerland in winter.
The Hour of the Winter Birds campaign was held for the fifth time. The bird count was also carried out in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic at the same time. Participants were still able to enter their observations on the corresponding website on Sunday evening, meaning that the numbers and rankings may still change.
©Keystone/SDA
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