Count small birds - a Swedish people's movement

"This bird count gives us a lot of information about how bird life is affected by climate change," says Anders Wirdheim, project manager for the bird count organized by the Swedish Ornithological Association.

He takes the carbon black as an example of this, a species of bird that was reported up to Mälardalen in 2006, but which in recent years has been reported wintertime up to Sundsvall and in isolated cities, all the way up to Haparanda.

- Birds are really quick to adapt to new conditions, says Anders Wirdheim.

The large bird count has been running since 2006 and according to the organizer, the Swedish Ornithological Society, about 20,000 Swedish households have participated and reported in which birds they have seen in recent years. 2019 was the record with 22,000 participants.

Why do you think you should join and report which birds you saw in your garden?

- Partly it is exciting to participate, we know that up to half a million people feed on birds, so the interest is very large, and then it is that the bird count is in its own way a measure of climate change, says Anders Wirdheim.

More information about the bird count can be found here.