Counting birds in Saxony - Nabu calls for participation

Birdwatchers in Saxony are once again being called upon to count wild birds this weekend. The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Nabu) is organizing the "Hour of Winter Birds" from 9 to 11 January. It is taking place for the 16th time this year, according to the conservationists.

If you want to take part, observe the birds outside your window, in your garden or in the park for an hour next weekend and report the results to Nabu by January 19. For the evaluation, the highest number of birds of each species spotted at the same time during the hour will be recorded. In Saxony, there are also several dates for joint counting from Friday to Sunday.

More than 150,000 birds sighted in Saxony in 2020

Last year, 6,558 people took part in the campaign in Saxony and counted 154,685 birds. The most frequently observed bird was the house sparrow, followed by the great tit, blue tit and tree sparrow. There was an 18 percent decline in blackbirds in Saxony compared to 2024. The Usutu virus, which has led to high losses nationwide in recent summers, is considered the probable cause.

According to Nabu, birdwatchers have a good chance of making many observations this year. This is because the persistently low temperatures could ensure more winter birds at the feeders, said nature conservation expert Julian Heiermann according to the press release. "With closed snow cover and frozen ground, it is much more difficult for many species to find food in the wild. They are then particularly happy to accept supplementary feeding."