SmartBirds
Every 10 years, in over 40 countries worldwide, a large-scale conservation event dedicated to a beloved bird species takes place – the International White Stork Census. In 2024, it will be the eighth edition. The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) is the coordinating organization for the census, calling on people across the country to turn their gaze to their feathered neighbors and participate in the initiative.
The census will take place in June and July 2024, covering the entire country and more than 5,000 locations. With the help of volunteers, all stork nests will be visited, and adult birds and their young will be counted. Information about the location of nests, unoccupied nests for various reasons this year, and endangered nests that will be subsequently secured with the help of relevant institutions will be gathered.As the stork is a familiar and beloved species easily observed and recognized, children, families, entire classes, eco-clubs, and others can participate in the big census. All that is needed is to share observations in the SmartBirds Pro mobile application or on the SmartBirds website.
© Svetoslav Spasov
In addition to establishing the count of these beloved birds, the goal of the census is to identify threats to the species. Over the years, industrialization, monoculture, and chemicalization in agriculture, the disappearance of wetlands where storks often find their food and dangerous electrical poles have been identified as threats.
The stork is one of the birds that live closest to humans and is a sensitive indicator of the state of the environment. Where there are more white storks, there are more and cleaner wetlands, and agricultural land has fewer pesticides.
The VII International White Stork Census (2014–2015) showed an increase in the population of the species in Bulgaria compared to the census conducted ten years earlier. The number of breeding pairs increased by 1007 (21%).
The data also show significant regional differences. There is a significant increase in breeding pairs in Southern Bulgaria, especially in the regions of Plovdiv, Haskovo, Sofia-Region, Kardzhali, and Blagoevgrad. The population of the White Stork in the country, according to its latest census, is 5825 pairs. We are yet to understand the current population trend.
The first census of the White Stork was organized in 1934 at the initiative of Germany, and our country joined in the 1970s. BirdLife International is the organizer, and BSPB is the coordinating organization for Bulgaria. The main partner of BSPB in the census is the Executive Environment Agency (ExEA).
