site.btaBulgaria Marks European Birdwatch Days

Birdwatching, photo exhibitions and workshops for children will be among the activities marking this year’s European Birdwatch Days in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) said on Saturday. The initiative is taking place on October 3-4.

Anyone interested can watch birds over the two days and then record information about their numbers in the SmartBirds Pro app on October 4. All information from participants will be processed and compiled by BirdLife Slovakia and published on October 5.

In Sofia, a field trip for participants in a birdwatching course is planned for Saturday, in search of white-backed woodpecker sites in the Vitosha and Etropole Balkan areas. on Sunday, a birdwatching trip is planned to wetlands in the western part of the Sofia Field - Mramor Reservoir, Petarch, Bezden, Aldomirov Marsh and Dragoman Marsh.

An open day with free admission will be held on Saturday at the Poda Conservation Centre. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe the autumn migration over the area and attend talks by BSPB experts.

A birdwatching trip will also be held in Haskovo on Saturday. The meeting point is the boating lake in Kenana Park at 9:30 a.m.

A photo exhibition and a workshop for children and parents are planned on Saturday at the Bozhe Ime complex in Baldevo village, Garmen Municipality. There will also be birdwatching led by BSPB volunteers. The event starts at 10:30 a.m.

In Varna, a visit and birdwatching session is scheduled at the Yatata protected area from 8:30 a.m. Another birdwatching session will be held on Sunday from 8:30 a.m. in Varna’s Sea Garden.

In Veliko Tarnovo, a walk dedicated to birds and migration is planned for Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The meeting point is in front of the car park next to the Church of the Forty Martyrs.

The European Birdwatch Days draw attention to migration. The initiative raises public awareness of the need to protect migratory bird species, as well as their breeding grounds, stopover sites along their migration routes and wintering grounds. Migratory birds face numerous threats along their routes, including climate change, collisions with elements of the electricity grid and glass surfaces on buildings, intensive land use and poaching.

The initiative also highlights the importance of international cooperation in bird conservation. BirdLife partners work in different countries and continents, bringing together experts, ornithologists, volunteers and bird enthusiasts in birdwatching activities and efforts to protect endangered species around the world.