Almost all European and many African and Asian countries have conducted a so-called “winter census” of water birds in the middle of January ever since 1967. It is coordinated by the world organization for preservation of wetlands – Wetlands International. Comparative analyses of the results from those censuses over the years provide precious information on the condition of water birds’ population in our part of the globe, as well as for the relation between their migrations and climate and environmental changes.
Why does the annual world census of water birds take place exactly in the middle of January? The answer is: because the greatest gathering of birds in certain regions can be observed then.
This year’s census coincided with the mild beginning of the winter in this country – it was conducted during the first two weeks of January. That was why the teams of environmentalists and experts marked a number of migrated birds that was 25-30 percent down on 2011. However, the weather suddenly changed in the end of January. An unusual Siberian cold froze the earth. Then, though a bit late, large flocks of geese, ducks and other water birds started to migrate from the northern parts of the continent.
Some curious details in the birds’ behavior were outlined by the census. This year most of those had chosen the banks of the Danube River and not the Black Sea coastline as usual. Mr. Yordan Hristov from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds gave us details on this issue:
“The existence of a significantly greater number of birds along the Danube was a really interesting phenomenon. Approximately 80,000 were counted only at one part of the river, mainly geese and ducks. To compare – no more than 55,000 had been monitored in previous years. The final results of the census are not ready yet, but I guess it will turn out that more than a half of all birds, counted in this country have been concentrated on the banks of the Danube this year. This comes to confirm one more time the great significance of this river for the preservation of bird populations. Perhaps those found more food along the river due to the milder start of the winter and they didn’t have to fly to southeast, to the Black Sea coast, where the climate is mildest.”
Another unusual phenomenon was marked mid-January:
“A relatively great number of birds that are typical for the summer were registered this winter – for instance, several white and black storks,” Yordan Hristov goes on to say. “A group of 30 Ferruginous ducks were also spotted at the Srebarna Lake and their number was high for this season, along with the fact that these species are typical for the summer.”
What happens this winter with the Red-breasted goose, that is a really rare and protected species? Almost the entire world population of this beautiful bird spends the winter in Bulgaria and this is a great responsibility to this country.
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“No more than 1-2,000 of these birds were registered during the census,” Mr. Hristov says. “However, our colleagues have monitored the migration of more than 10,000 Red-breasted geese in wetlands. A part of those settled along the northern Black Sea coast, while others fly to the south, to the Gulf of Burgas. So, at the moment the number of these geese is relatively high. In January 2011 those were 33,000, but in previous years their population had reached some 60,000.”
We will know the exact number of those geese that are spending the winter here a bit later. A reducing of their whole population is possible and that would be a very alarming fact. On the other hand birds might have changed their wintering place for some reason – they might be spending the cold season at the eastern part of the Black Sea, or in Romania and Ukraine. However, those areas are more difficult for access and the real numbers are not always identifiable. The results of the census will be available in the end of spring. Analyses will follow then of the phenomena monitored, aiming at measures for better protection of water birds.
English version: Zhivko Stanchev
