Mid-winter count of water birds and other bird species in Bulgaria
Citation
Chesmedjiev S, Arkumarev V, Hristov I, Mateeva I, Stoychev S, Popgeorgiev G (2024). Mid-winter count of water birds and other bird species in Bulgaria. Version 1.5. Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/sg5qp9 accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-08-18.Description
This dataset contains data on water birds and other wintering bird species, collected in the framework of the Mid-Winter Count of Waterfowl monitoring scheme, since 1997. The Mid-Winter Waterfowl Count in Bulgaria is part of the annual international simultaneous counts in the Western Palearctic, carried out in mid January, coordinated by Wetlands International (formerly IWRB) as well as an integral part of the National system for monitoring of Biodiversity. The goals of the count include: - to monitor the trends in the numbers and distribution of wintering waterfowl in Bulgaria; - to monitor the condition of the wetlands that hold water birds; - to determine the threatening factors for birds and wintering sites as well as trends throughout the years; - to analyse the collected data in order to define the priority measures for conservation of the species and the wintering sites, and establish levels for the sustainable harvest of resource species. The counts provide scientifically sound data for decision-making, enable the MoEW to meet its needs for biodiversity monitoring and, via Wetlands International, meet the requirements of the Ramsar Convention.Sampling Description
Study Extent
The Mid-Winter Count of Waterfowl is carried out according to a standard methodology . It takes place annually in thee to four days around the second weekend of January (in general between 10th and 17th January for the reported period), where in total 265 wetlands, including rivers and the Black sea Coast (according predefined list) are visited by in total of 43 teams of experts and volunteers. The country is divided into regions, which are covered by separate teams. Each team has a predefined route and wetlands they cover each year. At least one professional ornithologist or ornithologist with many years of experience in field identification of waterfowl participates in each team. Data is collected in notebooks for the period 1997 – 2015 with real coordinates, and then processed electronically. Since 2016 data are collected through the mobile application SmartBirds Pro and directly incorporated in the SmartBirds Information System (https://smartbirds.org/). Data collected contain: date and hour of observation, observer, location (including exact geographical location), weather conditions, wetland condition, species name, number of individuals observed and additional notes. The smaller wetlands are observed from a single observation point, while the larger wetlands, river streams (Danube, Maritsa, Tundzha, Osam, Ogosta, Yantra, Iskar, Struma, etc.) and the Black Sea Coast are observed from more predefined observation points, in order to ensure full coverage of wetlands.Sampling
At wetlands full count of water birds and other bird species is carried out with following specifics: geese are counted at sunrise at roosting sites at wetland or sea at time they take off to foraging areas; cormorants are counted at dusk when they come to roosting sites. Both geese and cormorants are not counted during the day unless the birds are observed very far from known roosts or the roosts of these species in the given region are not known.Quality Control
The mobile application SmartBirds Pro, which is used for data collection has mechanisms to minimise the errors during the data entry, such as predefined lists of species, lists of meteorological conditions, status of species, as well as obligatory fields, which prevents recording with missing key information. Data collected are checked for completeness, consistency and content by the monitoring coordinator. Further on the content of the data is double checked by database moderators.Method steps
- During survey work, observers record each individual bird.
Taxonomic Coverages
N/A
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Avesrank: kingdom
Geographic Coverages
Bulgaria
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
Svilen Chesmedjievoriginator
position: Monitoring coordinator 2016 - 2024
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +359878599383
email: svilen.cheshmedjiev@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7625-8898
Volen Arkumarev
originator
position: Monitoring coordinator 2015
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +359887093547
email: volen.arkumarev@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
Iordan Hristov
originator
position: Monitoring coordinator 2013-2014
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
BG
Telephone: +35829799500
email: iordan.hristov@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
Irina Mateeva
originator
position: Monitoring coordinator 1997 - 2012
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +359878599360
email: irina.kostadinova@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/ 0000-0003-4369- 7656
Stoycho Stoychev
originator
position: Conservation director
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +35829799500
email: stoycho.stoychev@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
Georgi Popgeorgiev
originator
position: DB manager
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Plovdiv
Plovdiv
4000
Plovdiv
BG
Telephone: +35929799500
email: georgi.popgeorgiev@gmail.com
homepage: https://bspb.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7625-8898
Georgi Popgeorgiev
metadata author
position: DB manager
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Plovdiv
Plovdiv
4000
Plovdiv
BG
Telephone: +35929799500
email: georgi.popgeorgiev@gmail.com
homepage: https://bspb.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7625-8898
Irina Mateeva
metadata author
position: Monitoring coordinator 1997 - 2012
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +359878599360
email: irina.kostadinova@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/ 0000-0003-4369- 7656
Svilen Chesmedjiev
administrative point of contact
position: Monitoring coordinator 2016 - 2024
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +359878599383
email: svilen.cheshmedjiev@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7625-8898
Volen Arkumarev
administrative point of contact
position: Monitoring coordinator 2015
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +359887093547
email: volen.arkumarev@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
Iordan Hristov
administrative point of contact
position: Monitoring coordinator 2013-2014
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
BG
Telephone: +35829799500
email: iordan.hristov@bspb.org
Irina Mateeva
administrative point of contact
position: Monitoring coordinator 1997 - 2012
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +359878599360
email: irina.kostadinova@bspb.org
homepage: https://bspb.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/ 0000-0003-4369- 7656
Stoycho Stoychev
administrative point of contact
position: Conservation director
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Yavorov quarter, Bl. 71, Entr. 4, app. 1
Sofia
1111
Sofia
BG
Telephone: +35829799500
email: stoycho.stoychev@bspb.org
Georgi Popgeorgiev
administrative point of contact
position: DB manager
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Plovdiv
Plovdiv
4000
Plovdiv
BG
Telephone: +3590876939252
email: georgi.popgeorgiev@gmail.com
homepage: https://bspb.org/
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7625-8898