Birdwatching is the kind of hobby you can always take with you — in your garden, in the forest or by the sea. The best advice I got when I started was to begin in January, when the number of species in the country is limited and the birds you see often are the easiest to learn. A bird feeder in winter is worth its weight in gold: the birds come to you.
You don't need much in the way of equipment. Get a good field guide — «Fågelguiden» is the standard, but as a beginner a simpler book on the most common species can be less overwhelming. A pair of binoculars makes everything more fun; feel free to start by borrowing a pair or buying second-hand. A birding app on your phone is also a handy alternative.
What helped me most was thinking in probabilities: if you see a «lesser black-backed gull» in the middle of winter, it's more likely a great black-backed gull, and a flock of «azure tits» at the feeder is almost always long-tailed tits. Learn to rule out the common species first. And above all — be humble and don't disturb the birds, especially not during the breeding season.
Reporting to Artportalen is both fun and useful: your observations add to the knowledge of Sweden's bird fauna, and you get a field diary to look back on. Going out with other birders through a local club is probably what gives you the most of all.
My tip is not to rush for results. Learn one song at a time, enjoy the dawns, and suddenly you'll notice that you can hear and recognise more species than you thought possible.
Source: Natursidan
Sometimes good news comes from nature conservation, and this one I really love. BirdLife Sweden reports that at least eleven southern dunlins raised within the Southern Dunlin Project have returned to Öland this year, and six of them tried to breed.
The project is run by Nordens Ark and BirdLife Sweden with support from Postkodlotteriet and started in 2023. At that time there were an estimated only 40 pairs left in Sweden, a fraction of what existed a hundred years ago. The method is to find nests and eggs, hatch the eggs at a rearing station where the chicks are protected from predators, and release them on Öland's wet meadows once they can fly. They then live as wild birds and overwinter in northern and north-western Africa. Individual colour rings make it possible to recognise them when they return.
This year 24 fledglings were released on the wet meadows of southern Öland. Some are thought to have fallen prey to predators, probably mink. The spring was dry and many water pools disappeared early, and egg predation was high, but later more rain came and conditions improved. Several of the returning birds have bred and laid eggs themselves, and some were taken into care by the project, giving rise to a new generation.
Eleonor Karlsson, project leader at BirdLife Sweden, reminds us that migratory birds' first migration is the most risky and that every individual is very valuable. Emma Nygren, nature conservation manager at Nordens Ark, believes the real number of returnees is higher than eleven, because the species is hard to survey and not all wet meadows could be visited.
As a bird enthusiast, I think the colour rings are the best part of the story: you can follow individual birds all the way from egg to return. That gives hope for a species that could otherwise easily disappear.
Source: BirdLife Sverige
Burung Indonesia has published a piece for World Rivers Day, and as someone who enjoys watching birds, I think rivers are often forgotten. World Rivers Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of September, starting in 2005 when the UN launched the Water for Life Decade. The idea came from river activist Mark Angelo.
The article introduces several birds that live along rivers. The Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) is Least Concern on the IUCN 2026 list, and it hunts fish and small animals by diving from branches. The Javan Pond Heron (Ardeola speciosa), about 46 cm tall, waits for prey on the riverbanks. The other two are much more worrying. The White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni) is Critically Endangered, and globally it now survives only in Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia, where it has been recorded on the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan. The Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo euryzona), endemic to Java, is also Critically Endangered and depends on rivers in forested areas.
The saddest is the Javan Lapwing (Vanellus macropterus), a Java endemic listed as Critically Endangered and probably extinct. There has been no verified record since 1930-1940, and surveys from 2001 to 2012 did not find it.
The water quality figures in the article left me speechless. Monitoring in the first half of 2025 covered 4,482 locations on 1,482 rivers, and 70.7% were polluted, with only 29.3% meeting the quality standards. In DKI Jakarta, the Riau Islands and South Papua, every monitored point was polluted.
The suggestions are simple: don't throw rubbish into rivers, reduce single-use plastic, keep riverbank vegetation, and don't damage the surrounding habitat. I also think the closing quote fits well: a healthy river is not just about water that flows.
Source: Burung Indonesia
According to news from Doğa Derneği, BirdLife International published the World Bird Report at the Global Migration Pathways Summit in Kenya. Released every four years, this report focuses for the first time on migratory birds and their flyways. As a birdwatcher, this topic concerns me directly, so I noted the key points.
The main finding is sobering: about half of migratory bird species, 45% according to Doğa Derneği's headline, are declining, and one in nine species is threatened with extinction. The last record of the slender-billed curlew (Numenius tenuirostris) was from a lagoon in Morocco in February 1995; the species was declared extinct in 2025, the first global bird extinction in Eurasia and Africa in recent centuries. Seabirds and shorebirds are most at risk.
Still, the news has a hopeful side. When threats such as invasive species, agricultural intensification, climate change and hunting are addressed, results follow; when threats are tackled along the whole migration route, populations can recover. International work on the Egyptian vulture has halted the decline of its breeding population in the Balkans.
The report's editor, Dr Stuart Butchart, calls migratory birds the "sentinels" of ecosystems and says conservation must happen at the scale of the migration route. The Nairobi Migration Pathways Declaration was also signed at the summit. Doğa Derneği's General Coordinator Serdar Özuslu stresses that Turkey hosts three biodiversity hotspots and is a critical ecological bridge for migration between Europe and Africa.
To me, the message of this report is simple: protecting a bird only where it lives is not enough; we also need to think about every stop it makes along the way. Details are on sowb.birdlife.org.
Source: Doğa Derneği
For anyone who watches birds in autumn, I have good news. On 29 September, OTOP announced a new version of the EuroBirdPortal (EBP) browser, available at eurobirdportal.org/pol/pl. For the first time it covers all bird species that regularly occur in Europe.
On animated maps updated daily, you can follow almost 600 species: 477 that occur naturally in the EU, 32 introduced species with self-sustaining breeding populations, and 58 selected vagrant species. Since 2010, 750 million observations have entered the database, 76 million of them in 2026. Data from 21 platforms flows into the shared database every day, built by a network of 52 ornithological organisations from 41 countries.
The Polish partner is OTOP, which runs the ornitho.pl portal and is the main eBird partner in Poland. The first version of EBP was created in 2015, and since 2019 it has run in "near real time" with a one-day delay. The expansion was financed by the EU's LIFE programme under the project "LIFE EBP Reinforcement".
A practical point: the maps can be compared with the previous year, placed side by side, shared on social media and embedded on websites. The text shows, for example, the autumn crane migration this season and last, which is very timely right now.
What pleases me most is the emphasis that more than 200,000 volunteers across Europe stand behind these maps, entering their observations into ornitho and eBird. Every report from an ordinary observer really adds to that picture of migration, and that is probably the best argument for reporting common species too.
Source: OTOP
Something is really happening in Dutch birding again: nutcrackers have arrived. According to Vogelbescherming Nederland, about 30 were seen on 8 October, mostly in Drenthe and the northeast of the country. I think that is good news, because it is a species most birders don't see every year.
The first of 2026 was photographed on 28 August near Waddinxveen by Dirk van Doorn, to his own surprise. A sighting in Westmaas followed on 27 September, after which the numbers quickly rose. One bird near Gasteren in Drenthe stayed longer and drew dozens of enthusiasts. There are also many uncertain reports of birds flying over, and more are expected to turn up in October.
The nutcracker is a crow-like bird with a large bill, brown plumage with white speckles, and a black-and-white tail. In flight it looks like a jay, but it flies faster and more directly. Some birds are remarkably tame. The article's tip is handy: look at hazel trees in gardens, parks and woods, because nutcrackers love hazelnuts.
This is an irruptive species. The largest invasion was in 1968, when thousands arrived from August and a few birds even stayed to breed in spring 1969. Smaller invasions followed in 1971, 1977, 1985 and 1991, and the most recent, very small one in 2008. So the species is becoming rarer in our country.
The birds probably come partly from Siberia, perhaps also from northern Scandinavia and Finland. When seed from Siberian pine and spruce runs short, the thin-billed nutcracker moves west in large numbers, and in late summer 2026 many migrants were seen in Finland. Personally, I find it wonderful that a food shortage in Siberia can suddenly be seen in a Drenthe forest.
Source: Vogelbescherming Nederland
SEO/BirdLife has released the second video in its series "Somos Ciencia, Somos Acción" (We Are Science, We Are Action). It is devoted to citizen science, with the European goldfinch, Bird of the Year 2026, as its star. I think it is a good way to remind us that people who go out with binoculars to watch birds can contribute useful data.
The underlying question is how we know that birds are disappearing. According to the organization, the answer lies in thousands of people who go out into the countryside every year, observe, count, and share their data. SEO/BirdLife coordinates more than 12 citizen science programs, with more than 3,000 volunteers taking part in censuses and other monitoring. Altogether, more than 18,000 people take part in its volunteer programs each year, and close to 16 million data points have been collected.
The report "El Estado de las Aves de España 2024" paints a worrying picture. The monitoring programs for common birds, Sacre (spring), Sacin (winter), and Noctua (nocturnal birds), show a widespread decline. In spring, 43% of species have declined since 1998, and among nocturnal birds more than half are in decline. Affected species include the house sparrow, the common swift, the European greenfinch, and the European goldfinch.
The goldfinch still has a large population, but it suffers from illegal capture for commercial purposes, from being kept in captivity, and from the effects of excessive use of pesticides and herbicides. Its population shows a moderate decline of 7.3% according to the Sacre program. You do not need to be a professional scientist to contribute: what matters is the consistency of observations over the years.
Source: SEO/BirdLife
When I saw the Wild Bird Society of Taiwan's 2026 black-faced spoonbill census results, published in April, I thought it was rare good news. Taiwan recorded 4,719 birds, a new historic high, up 550 from last year, a 13.2% increase. That is the largest single-year growth of any wintering site. The global total is 7,746, up 11.1% from 2025, and Taiwan holds roughly 61% of it, making the island the species' most important wintering ground.
The other wintering counts are: China 1,849, Japan 757, Hong Kong and Shenzhen's Houhai Bay 291, Vietnam 72, South Korea 39, Macau 12, and the Philippines 7. Within Taiwan, Tainan City still hosts the most birds with 2,034, though its share fell. Chiayi County, with 1,515, showed the sharpest rise, also a record. The Zhuoshui River estuary, on the Changhua–Yunlin border, had 465, and Yilan County 53, both above previous records. Birds were recorded in 15 counties and cities, a wider spread that suggests the population is moving north. In November 2025, when the Tainan Wild Bird Society surveyed the coast from Yunlin to Kaohsiung, it already counted more than 5,000, which matches the January census.
The report also reminds us that good news does not mean we can relax. In 2025 the IUCN downgraded the species from Endangered (EN) to Vulnerable (VU), but suitable habitat has not kept up with population growth. This year a botulism outbreak at the Yong'an and Qidun wetlands in Kaohsiung led to 45 birds being rescued, and only 14 survived to be released back into the wild.
March 21 was also the first International Black-faced Spoonbill Day. As someone who enjoys birdwatching, I think the meaning of this census is that the numbers grew because people count them carefully every year, and because people protect the wetlands. Whether more and more birds can stay will depend on whether habitat protection can keep up.
Source: Wild Bird Society of Taiwan
As a bird lover, this is good news for me. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has recorded 17 new bird species, bringing the park's total to 353. According to Tuoi Tre Online, the new species turned up in evergreen forest on limestone mountains, on earth mountains, along rivers and streams, in wetlands, and in the transition zone where forest meets grassland.
At the same time, two birdwatching sites are being trialed: one inside the national park and one in the Dong Chau - Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve. The aim is to develop eco-tourism. Mr. Dinh Huy Tri, deputy director of the management board, said the research team surveyed 13 routes to collect data on species composition, habitats, distribution, and the impact on bird communities. A survey of visitors showed that many want to try birdwatching, especially for species with brightly colored plumage.
What stands out is the cautious approach. Mr. Tran Xuan Mui, a member of the research team, stressed that birdwatching is not an ordinary sightseeing tour. Organizers must understand the behavior, habitat and timing of each species. Luring birds improperly can disrupt their natural behavior, especially for endemic and rare species such as chich da voi and khuou da mun.
The criteria for choosing observation points include species diversity, the chance of seeing birds, habitat characteristics, accessibility, and the level of human impact. The team has also built a database and GIS maps of bird distribution. Areas of high ecological value will be strictly protected, and only suitable sites will welcome visitors.
For someone who loves birds, this is a positive sign: bird-watching tourism can grow while conservation comes first. I hope these sites will be run in that spirit.
Source: Tuoi Tre Online
It feels like autumn is deepening these days. The Seasonal Front Watch page from Bird Research was updated on 9 October 2026, and the first sightings of the Daurian Redstart have come in from Yamanashi and Chiba prefectures. Hearing news of the winter visitors makes me feel that the season is really changing.
The survey asks volunteers to report the day they first saw or heard a particular bird. The reports are mapped to show how the seasons move across Japan. It is described as easy to join even without birdwatching experience. The spring targets are the first sightings of the Barn Swallow, Common Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoo, Oriental Reed Warbler, Brown Hawk-Owl, Narcissus Flycatcher and Blue-and-white Flycatcher, plus the first songs of the Japanese Bush Warbler, Skylark and Warbling White-eye, and the first sightings of Mallard ducklings. The autumn targets are the first sightings of the Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush and Rook, the high calls of the Bull-headed Shrike, and the first sightings of Brown-eared Bulbul flocks on migration.
The criteria are clear. The Japanese Bush Warbler must give a clear 'ho-ho-kekyo' call, the Skylark is counted only when singing while flying, and the Barn Swallow is counted not when it just passes overhead but when it shows nest-site behavior.
This year's report notes that the high calls of the Bull-headed Shrike have started to arrive, and that there was heavy rain in various places. In spring, the Brown Hawk-Owl was recorded earlier than usual, and the Narcissus Flycatcher a little early too. The first Japanese Bush Warbler song came on 23 January in Osaka, and the Skylark's first song started in late January in Okayama.
To take part, members can log in and use the web service for the Seasonal Front Watch under the Nearby Bird Survey. Non-members can send their reports using a mail form with a map. Predictions for the first song of the Japanese Bush Warbler and the first sighting of the Barn Swallow are also published.
It is wonderful that the sounds you hear on an ordinary walk, with no special equipment, can help research. This autumn I want to look for the red tail of the Daurian Redstart.
Source: Bird Research
Every year I look forward to the EuroBirdwatch numbers, and this year's wrap-up from BirdLife is a good read. Over 3-4 October, more than 23,000 people took part, 28 BirdLife Partners hosted 927 events across Europe and Central Asia, and participants recorded 4.8 million birds on their autumn migration routes. BirdLife Slovakia collected, analysed and published the data.
The country totals are striking. BirdLife Finland logged 1.6 million birds, BirdLife Sweden 742,877 and MME/BirdLife Hungary 628,635. The three most abundant species were Barnacle Goose (750,000), Common Starling (515,000) and Chaffinch (428,000). Hungary also led on events (176) and participants (3,807), followed by Switzerland on participants (3,414) and Greece (2,800); Vogelbescherming Nederland ran 150 events, second only to Hungary.
The notable sightings are what make a list like this fun. Red-throated, Richard's and Olive-backed Pipits turned up in Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, and Yellow-browed Warbler in Denmark, Switzerland and Malta. Greece reported 73 or more Lesser White-fronted Geese and Egyptian Vultures, Italy had Bonelli's Eagle and Marbled Duck, and Scandinavia produced Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Cream-coloured Courser and Black-faced Bunting. Turkey counted 1,128 Lesser Spotted Eagles, while Iraq's list included Iraq Babbler, See-see Partridge, Grey-headed Swamphen and Dalmatian Pelicans.
The article also notes the earlier editions for comparison: over 15,000 participants and 3.52 million birds in 2023, and more than 27,000 participants in 2025. So this year's turnout is a little lower than last year's, although the bird count is the highest of the figures quoted.
Personally, I like how an event this simple, just going out and counting, adds up to a picture of the whole migration. It also reminds me that the common birds, geese, starlings and finches, are what make the totals.
Source: BirdLife International
