In the UK, citizens participate in the world’s largest collection of bird information

From Friday 27 to Sunday 29 January, hundreds of thousands of Britons are invited to spend an hour on their balcony, in their garden or in their municipal park, counting birds. This annual meeting, the “Big Garden Birdwatch”, was started forty-four years ago by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), a truly British institution, one of the most important NGOs for nature conservation in Europe. , and the oldest one – it was founded in 1889. “This is the world’s largest collection of bird information about citizens” Its general manager welcomes Rebecca Speight. The initiative aims to paint an up-to-date picture of feathered wildlife in the UK, raise awareness of the surrounding nature and recruit new members to an NGO that already has 1.2 million.

“Anyone can participate, no need to be an expert, all you need is a pair of binoculars, and you can find very cheap ones”, Adds a former National Trust official, A British agency for the conservation of sites and monuments. “In this season, we can observe a lot of wood pigeons or great breasts, these people do well even in urban areas, but song thrushes, even if they are much reduced, or black-capped warblers, redwings or fieldfares, from Scandinavia. If the weather is too cold, the birds come closer to the gardens and you may even see waxwings, an absolutely amazing species of passerine. Calculate M^me Sharpness.

In 2022, 700,000 Britons took part in the Big Garden Bird Watch. In 2020, at the center of the first incarceration, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, a million people participated, a record. Many Britons discovered a passion for birds and nature, recognizing the importance of contact with nature for their mental health. Young ornithologists share their passion on social networks, naturalist Mia-Rose Craig, author birdgirl blogOr encourage citizens of ethnic minorities to arm themselves with a vision, such as Black2Nature or Flock Together associations. “The defenders of biodiversity are of white, middle-class origin. It is very important that all audiences join the movement, it is one of our priorities”, Emphasizes M^me Sharpness.

“A Leading Indicator of the State of Nature”

You should read 54.26% of this article. The following is for subscribers only.