Two major achievements for Portuguese ornithology were published in the past month of December. First, the III Portuguese Breeding Bird Atlas updated the distribution for 241 species (227 for the continent, 35 for the Azores and 44 in Madeira) and compared the distribution patterns among two atlases for the first time. This information was also fundamental to reviewing the Bird Red List (only for the Continental part of Portugal) published in 2005.
In 2017, DDA (Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten), together with its partners, decided to restructure the German Rare Breeding Bird Survey to ‒ step by step ‒ develop a monitoring scheme that delivers site-based data, provide Germany-wide standardised field methods, follows a modular approach and enables a mobile digital data collection and transmission.
The third Little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) national survey carried out in 2022 estimated a population of 3944 (min–max: 1425–6823) males in Portugal. This represents a population decline of 77% and 56% compared to estimates of the previous surveys from 2006 and 2016, respectively. The species has greatly disappeared outside SPAs, while the remaining breeding population concentrated within the protected area network is showing a steep decline at a rate of 9% a year.
The English version of a yearly public report about how wintering and breeding bird populations are doing in the Netherlands. Thanks to 50 years of censuses and research by volunteers and professionals, Sovon, Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, produces the trends of 199 breeding and 209 migratory and wintering bird species annually.
In 2023, the EBCC established a Small Grant Fund (SGF) with the aim to support national bird monitoring activities by EBCC partner organisations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries in Europe. Six projects were selected as priority for support in autumn 2023 and we have asked the wider community for donations.
At its virtual meeting in October, the Board had to say goodbye to Chris van Turnhout and elected Julia Stahl as the new board member. The Board also welcomed Rob Robinson as an observer from EURING.
In November (22nd-25th) Czech Society for Ornithology (CSO) organised a training workshop on online portals and International Census Plots (ICPs) in Brno at the Institute for Vertebrate Biology.
The European Bird Census Council has set up a Small Grant Fund (SGF) to support national bird monitoring activities, particularly in Europe's low- and middle-income countries. In 2023, we received ten applications for small grants from ten countries, and the EBCC Board has selected six projects as priorities for support. The projects come from six countries and request nearly 60,000 Euro in total. As the EBCC's resources are insufficient to fund all projects selected for support, we kindly ask individuals or organisations to donate and help us support the projects.
This Bird Census News issue focuses on what kind of additional taxa monitoring than birds is conducted in European bird monitoring programs based on a questionnaire to the national scheme coordinators. The questionnaire revealed that quite a few European countries already have ongoing mammal monitoring in their surveys and can calculate population trends for several species.
The European Bird Census Council (EBCC) has identified the development of bird monitoring in some European regions as a key target to achieve robust knowledge of the species’ status and trends. Without the possibility to provide some funding, this objective is likely to fail. Therefore, the EBCC has set up a Small Grant Fund (SGF), which is ready to receive contributions.
