SmartBirds
Pictures: Yordan Hristov – BSPB
The second National Meeting of participants in the Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (CBMS) was organised by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds. The event took place in the Ribaritsa area of Central Balkan National Park, bringing together volunteers, ornithologists and bird enthusiasts from across the country to exchange experience and discuss the development of one of Bulgaria’s longest-running biodiversity monitoring programmes. The main objective of the meeting was to present the latest results from the monitoring scheme and provide participants with feedback on their valuable contribution. Such meetings play an important role in improving data quality, sharing good practices and maintaining the motivation of the volunteers who dedicate their time each year to monitoring Bulgaria’s common bird species.
The programme included numerous discussions on ways to further improve data quality and increase the representativeness of the monitoring results. More than 500 participants from across the country were invited to take part in the initiative.
Two field excursions were also organised during the meeting, with participants recording their observations using the SmartBirds Pro mobile application. Among the highlights were sightings of the Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus), Red-billed Choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) accompanied by fledglings, and many other breeding bird species. The records collected during the excursions will contribute to the preparation of the new Atlas of Breeding Birds in Bulgaria.
The results from the 2026 Common Bird Monitoring Scheme are currently being processed. They will form the basis of the annual report on the status of Bulgaria’s common bird species, which will be presented to institutions, scientists and other stakeholders.
The Common Bird Monitoring Scheme is one of the largest citizen science initiatives in Bulgaria. Thanks to the dedication of hundreds of volunteers, reliable data are collected every year on the status of widespread bird species. These data are essential for tracking changes in biodiversity, assessing the state of the environment and supporting conservation planning both in Bulgaria and across Europe. Stay tuned for the results of the 2026 monitoring season.
The Common Bird Monitoring Scheme is one of the largest citizen science initiatives in Bulgaria. Thanks to the dedication of hundreds of volunteers, reliable data on the status of widespread bird species are collected every year. These data provide the foundation for tracking changes in biodiversity, assessing the state of the environment, and informing effective conservation measures both in Bulgaria and across Europe.
