10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills goes on to give greater detail of the former nesting sites in Europe: it could once be found “in southern Germany and Austria, in the valleys of the upper Rhine and Danube Rivers, and in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy and Germany, and perhaps in Hungary and Greece”.

Morocco 217

Morocco Austria Algeria Germany 217

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2015

As we move from Spain towards the east however, it starts getting interesting as soon as we reach Italy. Italy has an almost endemic … well … “form” of Sparrow, the Italian Sparrow , whose taxonomic affinities and rank have been a matter of dispute ever since scientists started to think about it.

Sparrows 210

Sparrows Italy Asia Austria 210

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

It subsequently spread to Budapest/ Hungary (2005, 2006), Zürich/ Switzerland (2006), and north-east Italy (2008/2009). The Usutu Virus has spread considerably in central Europe over the last 10 years. The first detection outside Africa occurred in Vienna/Austria between 2001 and 2006.

Germany 159

Germany Blackbirds 2006 Denmark 159

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

Michael Kessler, born in Peru and currently working in Switzerland, has researched birds, plants, and overall biodiversity in Bolivia and South America, and, his bio says, fulfilled a lifelong dream by contributing his artwork.

Bolivia 169

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 169

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

You’d be lucky today to find even a pair in Hungary, while according to the European Breeding Atlas 2 , it “has almost completely disappeared from S, central and W Italy, Switzerland, Norway and W Austria”. EBA2 goes on to say that the “Grey Partridge has undergone one of the steepest declines of all European farmland birds”.

Hungary 153

Hungary Eggs Fox India 153