21,704 people attended this year’s EuroBirdwatch, the biggest European birdwatching event hosted by 41 national partner organisations of BirdLife International in Europe and Central Asia. Participating in more than 934 different events taking place over the past weekend, people were able to observe the autumn migration, as birds make their way southwards to their wintering places.

In Cyprus, there are 63 areas belonging to the Natura 2000 network. The aim of the network is to ensure the long-term survival of the most valuable and endangered species and habitats in Europe. Although the Natura 2000 Network does not prohibit human activities within its boundaries, these need to be carried out in a manner which ensures the needs of the species and habitats for which an area is designated come first.

The French Minister of Ecology, Nicolas Hulot has committed to ending the large-scale trapping of Ortolan Bunting, which takes place to meet demand for a cruel dish where the songbird is blinded, plumpened and drowned in brandy. It's a practice that has driven population declines of up to 84% in Europe since 1980.

It’s that time of the year again when we turn our eyes to the skies. Millions of birds are leaving Europe to fly thousands of kilometres towards their wintering places in Africa. Now is the perfect time to head outdoors and tune in to the rhythm of the natural world. Join one of BirdLife Cyprus’ birdwatching events on Sunday 1 October to explore the magic and beauty of birds in the wild.

In mid-August, a man from the Larnaca district was fined €21.586 for poaching and illegal bird trapping, following the controversial recent law amendment. When the competent authorities searched the 67 year old’s house after catching him red-handed on the 9^th of August, they found and confiscated 2 freshly killed hares, 5 young Chukar partridges, 24 Song thrushes and 4 mist nets. 

Vultures are magnificent creatures but too often misunderstood. Their carrion diet is most likely the culprit. Interestingly, their diet is also what makes them an integral part of ecosystems. How? By keeping the system disease-free. 

Vultures are important. By being nature’s clean-up crew they are an integral part of nature. Thanks to their carrion diet, they prevent the spread of diseases produced by decaying carcasses. Vultures also help cattle ranchers, not only because they clean up the fields, but also because they eliminate the need for the treatment and incineration of thousands of tons of animal remains every year.

Did you know that BirdLife Cyprus has been monitoring the common breeding birds of Cyprus for more than a decade? Birds are sentinels for change in the environment, like the canary in the coal mine, so keeping track of how they are doing is the foundation for monitoring the health of our countryside and for conserving our nature. None of this would have been possible without our team of committed citizen scientists.