site.bta2026 Marks Bulgarian Midwinter Waterbird Census' 50th Anniversary

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Midwinter Waterbird Census in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) said on Monday. On January 15-18, 2026, the BSPB and the Executive Environment Agency (ExEA) will organize a census of wintering waterbirds, involving more than 100 volunteers and BSPB members, as well as representatives of partner organizations in over 40 teams. They will visit all major water bodies across the country.

During the same period, birds will also be counted in almost all European countries, as well as in countries in North Africa and the Middle East. The annual initiative is organized by the International Waterbird Census (IWC).

In Bulgaria, more than 250 wetlands will be covered, including the Danube and Black Sea coasts, as well as all reservoirs, fish farms and rivers inland where waterbirds overwinter. “The aim of the census is to collect accurate information on the numbers, species and distribution of birds, which will be used to assess changes in the status of the populations of the monitored species. This is an indicator of changes in the environment inhabited by both birds and people,” commented Svilen Cheshmedzhiev, the BSPB’s census coordinator. “These surveys are particularly important and timely in the context of climate change, which is currently on the agenda worldwide and affects each and every one of us,” he added.

This year, the International Waterbird Census will be conducted for the 60th time. It is one of the largest citizen science projects and plays a major role in global efforts to conserve nature. Bulgaria was among the first countries to join the initiative, although it has been carried out annually since 1977. The census was initiated by Tanyo Muchev, Bozhidar Ivanov and other ornithologists, who later became among the founders of the BSPB. Since the organization’s registration in 1988, the BSPB has been involved in organizing and conducting the census.