In order to find out where and which species of birds are found in Latvia during the winter months, the Latvian Ornithological Society (LOS) is calling on everyone to dedicate one hour to counting wintering birds at feeders from today until January 25, communication specialist of LOS Kitija Balcare informed the LETA agency.
On the same dates, birds will be counted using a unified methodology in neighboring countries and other regions of Europe.
Observing birds for one hour allows us to learn which species are present in the winter in the immediate vicinity. According to Balcare, such observations become valuable data for further research by ornithologists and other scientists studying nature.
The goal of the "Report Birds in the Garden 2026" campaign is to count the birds in the garden or at the feeder and report them on the nature observation portal or in the mobile application Dabasdati.lv. The idea for the campaign is borrowed from the United Kingdom, where the winter bird count in gardens has been conducted since 1979. In Latvia, the campaign has been running since 2017, simultaneously with similar events in neighboring countries and other regions of Europe.
During the "Report Birds in the Garden 2026" campaign, it is recommended to choose a well-observed spot for bird watching — in a garden, park, or cemetery, preferably near a feeder or a place where birds usually feed.
Birds can also be observed from indoors, for example, by watching a feeder through a window. During the observation, it is allowed to move around and use binoculars or a camera.
If the observation takes place, for example, in a park or cemetery, one should choose a part of the area that remains well visible at all times. If the observation is conducted in a garden, the size of the area corresponds to the size of the garden.
From January 23 to 25, one hour must be chosen during daylight hours, during which the birds will be observed without interruption.
Each species of bird observed should be noted only once, recording the largest number of individuals seen simultaneously in one place. One should not sum the individuals of the same species seen at the feeder at different times to avoid double counting the same birds. Birds that simply fly past or over the observation site but do not stop there are not counted in the campaign.
Observations need to be registered in the mobile application Dabasdati.lv, creating a complete list and indicating in its title "Ziņo par putniem dārzā", or by filling out the online questionnaire for the campaign posted on the website www.lob.lv in the section "Ziņo par putniem dārzā".
If it is not possible to identify the species of the bird immediately, it can be indicated in Dabasdati.lv as "Putns (nenoteikts)" ("Bird (unspecified)") and, if possible, attach a photo, audio recording, or video. In this case, the quality of the observation is very important.
The observation does not have to be conducted in a "full" hour, for example, from 8:00 to 9:00 — it can be any continuous one-hour segment, such as from 8:07 to 9:07.
Counting can only be conducted in the same place once within three days. A repeat count in the same location distorts the data, as the same birds may be counted multiple times. A second, third, or fourth count is allowed only at a different location.
Anyone who knows birds or wants to learn to recognize them better can participate in the campaign.
Last year, during the campaign, data was submitted from 199 locations across Latvia, and a total of 7,155 birds representing 53 different species were counted.
