Keeping tabs on our birds

E UROPE, the second smallest of the seven continents, covers seven per cent of the world’s landmass and has about 742m citizens. More than two billion pairs of birds, of some 530 species, nest here.

Millions arrive for the winter but breed elsewhere. Ninety-one species are “endemic”, meaning they are found nowhere else. Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, and Black Sea regions, are the most species rich.

International treaties protect birds and their habitats. Parks and reserves have been established, monitoring schemes initiated, and public awareness campaigns organised. But have these measures been effective?