SmartBirds
Photos: Svetoslav Spasov and Svilen Cheshmedzhiev – BSPB, Neli Doncheva and Zlatin Marinov
From 15 to 18 January 2026, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) and the Executive Environment Agency (EEA) will organize a census of wintering waterbirds, involving more than 100 volunteers and BSPB members, as well as representatives of partner organizations in over 40 teams. They will visit all major water bodies across the country. During the same period, birds will also be counted in almost all European countries, as well as in North Africa and the Middle East. The annual initiative is coordinated by the International Waterbird Census (IWC).
In Bulgaria, more than 250 wetlands will be covered, including the Danube and Black Sea coasts, as well as all reservoirs, fishponds, and rivers inland where waterbirds winter.
“The aim of the census is to collect accurate information on the numbers, species composition, and distribution of birds, which will serve to assess changes in the status of the populations of the monitored species. This is an indicator of changes in the environment inhabited by both birds and people,” commented Svilen Cheshmedzhiev, BSPB’s census coordinator.
“These surveys are particularly important and timely in the context of climate change, which is currently high on the global agenda and affects every one of us,” he added.
Bulgaria is a preferred wintering destination for many waterbird species. Among them are species listed in the IUCN Red List, such as the Horned Grebe, Red-breasted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose, White-headed Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Common Pochard, Velvet Scoter, and others.
As early as November, the first gatherings of northern species that regularly winter in Bulgaria were observed, including Greater White-fronted Geese, Whooper and Tundra Swans, Goldeneyes, and others. At the end of October, a record 4,603 White-headed Ducks were recorded at Lake Vaya near Burgas, with their numbers exceeding 5,000 in November.
Before the Christmas holidays, nearly 25,000 Greater White-fronted Geese and 20 Red-breasted Geese were recorded in the Svishtov–Belene lowlands. At the beginning of the year, large gatherings of Whooper and Tundra Swans were also registered in the Burgas region, as well as various species of ducks and diving birds in the areas of Shabla and Durankulak Lakes.
This year, the International Waterbird Census is being conducted for the 60th time. It is one of the largest citizen science projects in the world and plays a major role in global nature conservation efforts. Bulgaria is among the first countries to join the initiative, which has been carried out annually since 1977.
The census in Bulgaria was initiated by Tanyu Michev, Bozhidar Ivanov, and other ornithologists who later became among the founders of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB). Since the official registration of the Society in 1988, BSPB has been involved in organizing and implementing the census.
BSPB’s partners in the census include the Executive Environment Agency, Balkani Wildlife Society, the Bulgarian Ornithological Centre, the Green Balkans Federation, the Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna, the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, Persina Nature Park Directorate (Belene), Vratsa Balkan Nature Park Directorate, and Central Balkan National Park Directorate. Representatives of the National Association of Hunters and Anglers in Bulgaria will also take part in the field teams.
The Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) also plays a key role in the implementation of the census by providing vehicles and experts from its regional units, who will also carry out checks for violations of the Hunting and Game Protection Act. Iskar Reservoir and some water bodies in the Sofia region will be visited by volunteers from the “Skorets” Club at the Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”
This year, the census is carried out within the framework of the project “Together for Nature.”
About the project
“Together for Nature – Citizens for a Green Future,” abbreviated as “Together for Nature,” is a three-year project aimed at nature conservation by strengthening civic participation in cooperation with responsible businesses and local communities. It is one of three strategic projects funded by the Swiss–Bulgarian Cooperation Programme.
“Together for Nature” works to enhance civic engagement and multi-stakeholder cooperation in the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity in Bulgaria. Its main activities include citizen engagement through citizen science, support for sustainable agricultural and tourism practices, capacity building for non-governmental organizations and institutions, advocacy for environmental policies, and communication campaigns.
The project is implemented by a consortium of eight organizations—six Bulgarian and two Swiss—with more than 30 years of experience in nature conservation and strengthening civil society.
Prepared with the support of the Swiss–Bulgarian Cooperation Programme, Civic Engagement and Transparency Mechanism (CETM) 2024–2029. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the governments of Switzerland and Bulgaria.
