The bird population is decreasing in Latvia. Which birds will we not see again?

The Ornithological Society of Latvia regularly monitors birds. As a result of human farming and climate change, the species that inhabit our territory are changing – some disappear completely, while others take their place.

The Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Ornithological Society invites the public to get involved in bird population monitoring. “Everyone can provide information to the Ornithology Society using the dabasdati.lv app, as well as record bird songs and send them to specialists.

All you have to do is to activate the sound recording function on your mobile phone in a noisy forest or meadow and send the resulting approximately five-minute long recording to the association, specifying the place and time of the recording. Experts will listen to it, identify the birds and even send the author a list of birds whose voices can be heard in the recording.

Viesturs Ķerus, chairman of the board of the Latvian Ornithological Society, admits that the goal of the nature protection system is to maintain as stable a bird population as possible, however, everything in nature is variable and stable populations are the result of a dynamic balance. The ornithologist admits that, as a result of various processes, certain species of birds have been lost to us, but this does not necessarily mean that they are extinct.

For example, the white tern most likely moved further north and is no longer found here. It is completely white in winter, and the lack of snow makes the large, white bird an easy target for predators. On the other hand, the white heron is increasingly choosing our territory as its nesting place, although previously it was very rare in Latvia.

At the same time, the expert admits that there are species that are doing well and are multiplying rapidly. One such example is the ruffed grouse – a bird weighing only a few grams, which used to be rare in our country, but is now seen much more often. The number of crows is also increasing. On the other hand, due to climate change, the wood thrush is moving to the north and has become a rare species in our latitudes.

Mežirbe. Photo: Screenshot from the video.