This page provides the information for bird counterns in the Western Paleartic region: Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

See the links on the left side of the page to the forms you will need.

The major contributors to waterbird monitoring in western Europe and parts of Southwest Asia are volunteer birdwatchers who participate because they find counting birds enjoyable and rewarding. 

In most countries the census is coordinated professionally, and in many countries, particularly in eastern Europe, professionals also carry out much of the fieldwork (although often on a voluntary basis, in their own time). 

The methodology requires a single count at each site each winter in the month of January. The International waterbird census (IWC) is a so-called look-see survey whereby observers visit a site and make a count of every waterbird species present.

Standardisation

One of the most important principles in the IWC methodology is standardisation, so that the same sites are covered in the same way each winter, maximising the validity of comparisons of counts from site to site and from year to year. 

Standardisation is ensured by the use of rigorously designed recording forms, and by the use of a network of national organisers who liaise with counters and ensure that optimum coverage is maintained. At the national level, responsibility is often divided between a number of local organisers. At large sites which are divided into sub-sites, good organisation and teamwork play an important part of the success of counts. Problems of inconsistency in the data can occur when different boundaries are used for counting the same sites in different years and when sites 'drop in' and 'fall out' of the database over time as site coverage and counters change.

Count and site forms

We use two different types of forms depending on the information that is supplied. The first is the site form, where general descriptions about the site can be entered. 

The second is the count form, where bird counts and conditions occuring at the time of counting can be recorded. On the  right you see the forms available.

Please contact the person listed on the right for further information.