More than 140,000 migratory birds spotted in Switzerland
An osprey with supper
Keystone / Chris O'meara
Some 143,470 birds were counted migrating through Switzerland at the weekend. A particularly large number of starlings were sighted, but there were also rarities such as ospreys and red-throated pipits.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Around 4,000 twitchers were on the lookout for migratory birds at 51 locations across the country, the bird protection organisation BirdLife Switzerland announced on Monday. The event took place as part of the international migratory bird days EuroBirdwatch. Throughout Europe, birdwatchers counted a total of around 3.5 million migratory birds.
The record number of bird species counted in Switzerland was set by the starling: 36,813 individuals were counted. Also well represented were the chaffinch (36,186) and the wood pigeon (29,705). Most birds were observed in Ettingen, canton Basel Country, where 7,430 individuals were counted.
BirdLife Switzerland said the event was organised by bird conservation organisations from all over Europe to draw attention to the dangers facing migratory birds. Despite all the joy about the fascinating spectacle of nature, it should not be forgotten that migratory bird populations in Europe and especially in Switzerland continue to decline, it said.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland
Swiss university graduates are popular hires worldwide
This content was published on
Graduates of Swiss universities are popular with international employers, according to the Global Employability University Rankings.
French cross-border workers in Switzerland fear ‘discriminatory’ unemployment reform
This content was published on
In the French region around Geneva, cross-border workers are protesting proposals to cut unemployment benefits for those working in Switzerland.
Swan infected with bird flu in central Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland has reported its first bird flu case of the season. A swan found dead in central Switzerland tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
Swiss researchers identify gene variants linked to cancer progression
This content was published on
ETH Zurich researchers explored genetic mutations’ effects on cell function and their role in cancer development and treatment using CRISPR/Cas techniques.
Explosion at Swiss company Givaudan’s US plant leaves two dead
This content was published on
Swiss flavour and fragrance maker Givaudan reported that an explosion at its Kentucky plant resulted in two deaths and several injuries.
Swisscom’s Vodafone Italia takeover cleared by Italian telecoms authority
This content was published on
Swisscom is one step closer to its planned acquisition of Vodafone Italia, as the Italian communications regulator has approved the €8 billion deal.
Swiss parliamentary committee proposes foreign aid cuts and military funding boost
This content was published on
A committee of the Swiss House of Representatives has proposed increasing funds for the military and agriculture while reducing foreign aid and asylum.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.