 |
Birds are considered reliable indicators for the state of the environment. Population trends of individual species, however, are not suitable for an overall assessment. Therefore, combined multi-species indices have been developed. At the European level and in an increasing number of countries, such indicators are used to document general trends. In Switzerland, the Swiss Bird Index SBI® has been developed in 2004 and is annually updated. |
Aims
a) Developing population trend indices for individual species and combined indices for different groups of birds.
b) Use of indices for setting conservation priorities and for measuring progress towards targets set by international conventions and national concepts.
c) Implementing combined indices in the framework of environmental policy.
d) Raising awareness by using combined indices for the information of government authorities, politicians and the general public.
Approach
The Swiss Bird Index SBI® contains a set of combined indices for all breeding birds, for threatened birds and for birds of different habitats. Combined indices are calculated on the basis of population trend indices of regular breeding birds. Trends have been calculated from 1990 onwards. The index is set to a value of 100 for the year 2000. Species trends are calculated based on the results from the monitoring programme of common breeding birds, for rare breeding species based on the percentage of occupied kilometre squares.
Individual species trends
- German (PDF, 873 KB)
- French (PDF, 837 KB)
The combined indices of the Swiss Bird Index SBI® are equivalent to the geometric mean of the single species indices.
Results
Swiss Bird Index: Update 2008
- German (PDF, 518 KB)
- French (PDF, 517 KB)
Project management
Niklaus Zbinden, Verena Keller
Partners
European Bird Census Council
Biodiversity monitoring Switzerland
Forum of the Swiss Academy of Sciences
Publications
Keller, V., M. Kéry, H. Schmid & N. Zbinden (2009):
Swiss Bird Index SBI®: Update 2008. Faktenblatt. Schweizerische Vogelwarte
Sempach.
Keller, V., M. Kéry, H. Schmid & N. Zbinden (2009):
Swiss Bird Index SBI®: Update 2008. Fiche Info. Station ornithologique suisse.
Zbinden, N., H. Schmid, M. Kéry & V. Keller (2005):
Swiss Bird Index SBI. Artweise und kombinierte Indices für die Beurteilung der Bestandsentwicklung von Brutvogelarten und Artengruppen in der Schweiz 1990-2003/Indices spécifiques et combinés décrivant l'évolution des effectifs des oiseaux nicheurs et de groupes d'espčces en Suisse entre 1990 et 2003.
»Zusammenfassung »Abstract »Resume »Riassunto
Zbinden, N., H. Schmid, M. Kéry & V. Keller (2005):
Swiss Bird Index SBI® - Kombinierte Indices für die Bestandsentwicklung von
Artengruppen regelmässig brütender Vogelarten der Schweiz 1990-2004.
»Abstract »PDF-Download
Zbinden, N., V. Keller & H. Schmid (2005):
Bestandsentwicklung von regelmässig brütenden Vogelarten der Schweiz 1990-2004.
»Abstract »PDF-Download
Keller, V. & N. Zbinden (2001):
Die Schweizer Vogelwelt an der Jahrhundertwende.
»Zusammenfassung
Schmid, H., M. Burkhardt, V. Keller, P. Knaus, B. Volet & N. Zbinden (2001):
Die Entwicklung der Vogelwelt in der Schweiz/L'évolution de l'avifaune en Suisse.
»Abstract
