Nature: a global campaign to count waterbirds

Gray herons (our photo), ducks, migratory geese, or even egrets, these are some of the species of water birds that French volunteers have begun to count in the four corners of France.

Brenne Regional Natural Park

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Get out your binoculars: as every mid-January since 1967, Wetlands International is launching its major waterbird counting campaign this weekend.

A global campaign that mobilizes nearly 150,000 people in 180 countries.

France, too, is taking part in the operation.

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Gray herons, ducks, migratory geese, or even egrets, these are some of the species of water birds that French volunteers have begun to count in the four corners of France.

Purpose of the operation: to determine the numbers and distribution of these birds but also to identify the wetlands in which they live and which must be preserved.

Hundreds of wetlands in France

From the Camargue to Lake Annecy, or from the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel to the Picardy coast, France has 500 wetlands, 48 ​​of which are of international importance.

Since 1967, more than 200 species of water birds have been monitored there.

Wind turbines on migratory routes

Even if these areas, essential to the survival of birds, have strongly regressed over the centuries due to drainage and developments made by man, actions, such as the creation of quiet and feeding areas, have made it possible to protect species and stabilize their numbers.

However, some areas of concern persist: such as the development of offshore wind farms along migratory routes.

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