Monitoring breeding birds in wetlands

For the monitoring of population trends of bird species inhabiting small and localised habitats, special schemes are needed, as for example our monitoring scheme for birds breeding in wetlands.

Aims

Our wetland breeding bird monitoring complements other monitoring projects such as the monitoring programme of common breeding birds and produces estimates of population trends for species not surveyed in a satisfactory manner in these general-purpose schemes. By doing so, wetland breeding bird monitoring makes an important step towards closing the gap of our objective to assess the conservation status and trends of all birds breeding Switzerland.

Approach

We use the territory mapping method, which, when used in wetlands, can be very demanding, since many wetland species are difficult to detect. Many of the collaborators in this scheme belong to our most experienced volunteer birdwatchers.

Especially the largest Swiss wetlands are almost all managed by different organizations, which often also were the founders of nature reserves. When monitoring data are collected by these organisations as part of their management, we strive to use these data rather than conducting our own field surveys.

Project management

Thomas Sattler, Claudia Müller

Monitoring breeding birds in wetlands

Aims

Approach

Project management

Partners