Amateur bird count

Making rare species visible with a “beak view”

The yellowhammer finds plenty of nesting sites near Hardegg.(Bild: Michael Dvorak)

Binoculars and notebook at hand and off to the bird count in the Weinviertel! Conservationists are now asking animal-loving amateurs for help in counting species. Because tree sparrows and yellowhammers are becoming increasingly rare.

The tree sparrow hardly warbles any more, the lapwing is sighted less frequently and the house sparrow is no longer as numerous as it used to be. "Even yellowhammer and wren are making themselves scarce," explains ecogutler Maximilian Hardegg, who is gradually preserving the chirping paradises of the Weinviertel on his latifundia near Seefeld-Kadolz.

Alexius (left) and Maximilian Hardegg birdwatching.(Bild: Gut Hardegg/Florian Smetana)

Nevertheless, things are not so good for beaks and feathers elsewhere. With the "Big Farmland Bird Count", the Naturgut manager wants to draw attention to the alarming decline in populations in open fields and at the same time emphasize the importance of conservation.

Until February 23, his son Alexius is also appealing to people to count all the birds that peep and fly - whether in the field, in the garden or on the balcony. It's easy for hobby ornithologists to take part: observe for an hour, record the species and enter the results online . As a thank-you, you can look forward to a package of wine, honey and bird food. - And a pair of Leica binoculars!