Saxony: House sparrow, starling and great tit most frequently seen in bird census

House sparrows, starlings and great tits were the most frequently seen birds in Saxony during the "Garden Bird Hour" campaign at the beginning of May. Over 3300 bird lovers took part in this bird count, as the nature conservation organization Nabu announced on Friday. Almost 70,000 birds were counted in around 2,100 observations in the state from 9 to 12 May.

According to Nabu, over 1.2 million birds were reported across Germany over the four days, which were counted in gardens, parks and on balconies by more than 58,000 people. As almost always, the house sparrow was the most frequently spotted bird, followed by the blackbird, great tit and starling.

According to Nabu, the warmer-than-average spring has obviously made itself felt in the bird world. Some species returned earlier or started breeding earlier. The chiffchaff, for example, was spotted 14 percent more frequently in Germany than in the previous year. Another beneficiary could be the wren, which was reported eight percent more frequently nationwide. The species is susceptible to long periods of cold weather.

Barn swallows (minus 13 percent) and barn swallows (minus 18 percent), on the other hand, have almost "crashed", which could have something to do with the winter interlude during the return of migration in April, the report continued. The next bird count ("Hour of the Winter Birds") is planned for January 10-12, 2025. Anyone can take part.