Atlas

      Swiss Breeding Bird Atlas
      2013–2016

      Distribution and population trends of birds
      in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

      Birds face a changing world

      The state of birdlife reflects our relationship with nature and our landscapes. The atlas presents the current distribution, abundance and altitudinal distribution of all breeding birds in Switzerland and Liechtenstein with unprecedented precision. Most importantly, it highlights the profound changes that have taken place in the Swiss avifauna over the past 20 to 60 years. This comprehensive reference book provides an important foundation for the protection and conservation of native birds and their habitats.

      Available in German, French and Italian

      A look inside

      During four years, more than 2000 volunteers were out in the field documenting the bird populations of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Their effort has resulted in a unique overview of the distribution and current state of our breeding birds.

      249
      species or
      subspecies accounts
      345
      photos
      3.7
      kilos of in-depth
      ornithological
      knowledge
      1'074
      atlas maps
      46
      focus topics
      648
      pages
      341
      charts

      «Thanks to the dedication of more than 2000 volunteer collaborators, a wealth of data was collected that describes the state of our native birdlife in detail.»

      Marc Chardonnens
      Director of the Federal Office for the Environment
      FOEN
      © Marcel Burkhardt

      «For the next 20 years, the Swiss Breeding Bird Atlas 2013–2016 will be the standard work of reference when it comes to assessing the state of our native bird communities and how they are changing over time.»

      Prof. Dr. Lukas Jenni
      Chairman of the Institute Management
      and Scientific Director Ornithological Institute

      Key findings

      Overall, the number of species has remained constant since 1993–1996. But many breeding bird species have declining populations and are also experiencing range loss.

      Many long-distance migrants have lost ground. Insectivores in particular are in steady decline.

      Several birds of prey have made a longterm recovery. These popular, iconic birds are well protected by law.

      The effects of global warming are clearly visible and have caused several species to move to higher ground.

      Farmland birds have suffered the greatest losses. While the lowlands are most affected, pressure is increasing in the mountains as well.

      Several woodland species have increased in number. The growing forest area, nature-friendly forest management and more deadwood have given woodland birds a boost.

      Conservation action has become essential. Recovery measures have succeeded in reversing the trend for several threatened species.

      Special issue of «The State of Birds in Switzerland»

      The publication «The State of Birds in Switzerland»: Special Issue on the Breeding Bird Atlas 2013–2016” summarises the key findings of the new breeding bird atlas and takes stock of the developments of the past 20 years.

      Contents of the atlas

      Species – detailed distribution and population trends for each species. Learn more
      Gadwall Gadwall
      moderate increase

      moderate increase
      Endangered (EN)

      Endangered (EN)

      Prioritätsart

      Focus
      Northern Long-eared Owl Northern Long-eared Owl
      moderate increase

      moderate increase
      Near Threatened (NT)

      Near Threatened (NT)

      Prioritätsart

      Focus
      Barred Warbler Barred Warbler

      Vulnerable (VU)

      Vulnerable (VU)

      Prioritätsart

      Focus
      Mew Gull Mew Gull
      moderate decline

      moderate decline
      Endangered (EN)

      Endangered (EN)

      Prioritätsart

      Focus
      Learn more
      Focus – exploring topics and trends relevant to several species Learn more

      Lush and green – too much fertiliser harms birds

      Switzerland is a country of verdant landscapes. Fields and meadows are richly fertilised, and mires and woodlands receive more nutrient input than is good…

      Species concerned

      No limits to leisure activities?

      Many bird habitats are also used by humans for recreation and leisure sports. These human activities cause varying degrees of disturbance which can lead…

      Species concerned

      Many breeding birds move to higher ground

      Between 1993–1996 and 2013–2016, the average altitudinal distribution of Swiss breeding birds increased by 24 m. This upward shift along the altitudinal…

      Species concerned
      Learn more
      Background - a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the atlas Learn more

      The Swiss breeding bird atlas in a nutshell (Explainervideo)

      In a nutshell - a short movie of the Swiss breeding bird atlas

      How was the swiss breeding bird atlas book made?

      A short video shows how the book was produced at the printing company Stämpfli AG and at the bindery Bubu AG.

      Learn more
      Methods - from data collection to final results Learn more

      The atlas project presented enormous challenges in terms of the organisation of fieldwork, the search for volunteers and the subsequent analysis of data. The approximately 200 species of breeding birds require different survey methods depending on their occurrence, abundance and biology. Methods for producing the maps are also varied.

      Learn more

      Tremendous support

      Countless individuals, organisations and institutions contributed to the success of the 2013–2016 breeding bird atlas in a number of ways. Special thanks goes to all field ornithologists who collected the data used in the production of the atlas.

      We estimate that volunteer observers spent a total of about 3.9 working years on fieldwork and travelled 46 438 km.

      more than
      2000
      volunteer collaborators
      46'438 
      kilometres covered
      during the territory
      mapping surveys
      3'169'421
      bird observations
      687
      observers who
      submitted at least
      1000 records
      70
      authors
      1'487
      donors
      © Archive Vogelwarte
      © Marcel Burkhardt

      «Overall, the results of the large bird census are sobering. This is due to the fact that a number of species had to leave their feathers untouched, especially birds from the agricultural area.»

      Peter Knaus
      Project manager and main author

      Order the book

      Swiss Breeding Bird Atlas 2013–2016

      Distribution and population trends of birds
      in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

      648 pages 24x32 cm
      Hardcover
      Climate-neutral printing on FSC-certified paper
      produit en Suisse
      Produced in Switzerland
      Available in German, French and Italian

      CHF 88.00 

      Of the approximately 200 breeding bird species
      in Switzerland, more than half are currently threatened
      or considered near-threatened.

      Donate now › 

      Partners

      Special thanks goes to the following donors for their generous support.