Just in time for the beginning of spring, ornitho.ch has moulted and now shows itself in a new layout. Explore the new layout by clicking on the button "Try the new version of the site" at the top. We see the new appearance as an interim solution, which will undergo a number of further optimizations in the medium to long term. The biggest achievement of the current solution is that the layout is now "responsive", i.e. it adapts as best as possible to the dimensions of the respective screen on all devices.

One or the other adjustment may take some time getting used to: If, for example, a record is modified, the modification on the page with the listed observations is only visible after refreshing the page (e.g. pressing the F5 key). There is also no indication of the number of pages with observations anymore. If you want to see more observations, scroll down and new observations will be loaded continuously. Sometimes it takes loading takes a second or two. The goal of these adjustments is to limit the requests to the servers to the most necessary.

Please test the new design! We offer you the possibility to make suggestions for improvement (top left on the start screen under "YOUR OPINION MATTERS"). Note: We and the developer company will not be able to respond in all cases, but your feedback will still be received. At the same place you can also press the button "BACK TO THE OLD VERSION OF THE SITE" if you don't like the new layout at all. So for the time being you can still switch back and forth between the old and the new design.

We wish you a lot of fun with our new design!
Your ornitho.ch team

 

Currently, the intensity of bird migration is increasing. Many Stonechat are already on the move. Their migration peaks at the end of March (upper diagram). The plumage of the females is quite variable and so it happens that certain birds with a supercilium are sometimes mistakenly identified as Whinchat. However, the latter do not appear in our area until April, with a peak at the end of April/beginning of May (lower diagram). Moreover, the first arrivals of Whinchat are usually males, which are easy to identify as such.

If you think you have a Whinchat in your binoculars at the moment, take the time to look at it carefully: the Whinchat has a longer wing (long primary projection) and above all, white at the base of the tail, which is visible in flight. The white patch on the primary coverts is not always present in females. Please note that the species is considered by the Swiss Rarities Committee in March and it is necessary to provide a good description of the bird or good photos to document a possible sighting.

Your ornitho.ch-Team

Photo: Stonechat (D. Winzeler)

During the breeding season, many sites are visited in search of particular breeding species (e.g. nocturnal raptors, corncrakes, Rallidae or Peregrine Falcons). In most cases, we only receive data on species actually encountered. However, it is also interesting for us to know that a targeted search for a rare or difficult-to-detect species did not result in its presence during the nesting period (so-called absence data).

We would therefore be grateful if you could send us this type of information as well, by entering on ornitho.ch a number of 0 and an atlas code of 99 for the species in question (which means "Species not recorded despite active search during the nesting period"). It is also useful to give us more information in the "Comment" field (e.g. "nesting site not occupied since at least 2017"). In contrast, non-breeding season absence data should never be reported with an atlas code 99.

We naturally hope that your targeted research will be successful and thank you very much for your important cooperation.

Your ornitho.ch-Team

This winter there have been cases of avian influenza in various European countries, and there have also been some cases in Switzerland. Various cantons have therefore adopted measures to prevent the spread of avian influenza to domestic poultry. In some cases, the cantons also call on the population to report dead wild birds.

Using the mortality tool on ornitho.ch, it is possible to record dead birds. However, this is not an official reporting tool for bird flu cases. There is no automated data transfer from ornitho.ch to the cantons. We therefore ask you to always report suspected cases to the veterinary office, the game warden or the police of the respective canton.


Many thanks, your ornitho.ch team

Since the winter of 2010/2011, the rare subspecies A. c. caudatus of the Long-tailed Tit has been observed in varying numbers in Switzerland between late October and mid-March. Outside this period it is extremely rare. Furthermore, there are numerous intermediate forms between the two subspecies and identification books are imprecise in this respect. Therefore, many observers are not aware that the white colour of the head alone is not sufficient to assign a bird unambiguously to the subspecies 'caudatus'. So what should you look out for? You will find the answer in our new section "Identification tips".

We hope you enjoy reading and wish you wonderful observations!

Your ornitho.ch-Team

More and more people are interested in birdwatching and that is wonderful! At the same time, we also know that birds are suffering heavy threats and that many species are weakened by perturbations and that their habitats disappear.

ALL OF US should adopt an irreproachable behaviour at any circumstances and regardless to the species considered. A code of ethics, which has already been adopted by most of us, exists. Nevertheless, Nos Oiseaux, ornitho.ch, Birdlife Switzerland, Ficedula and the Swiss Ornithological Institute would like you to pay a special attention to the following points:

• Do not drive on restricted roads (especially in mountainous and agricultural areas).
• Never leave the official paths in natural reserves.
• Never enter agriculture areas or ecological compensation zones.
• Don't imitate the songs and calls and avoid tape-luring.
• A picture is nothing worth if it was taken to the detriment of the bird or its environment. Moreover such pictures will never be accepted for any of our publications. Avoid taking photos of birds on the nest, as the breeding success is strongly correlated to the disturbance level. (Note that disruptions during the breeding period imply a violation of the Federal Hunting Act and can therefore be prosecuted).
• A rare bird does NOT justify transgressing the rules cited above.

Talk to your friends and encourage them to follow the same rules.

Thank you for your understanding and your sensitivity towards nature and birds.

To record your field observations with NaturaList, you can choose between several map backgrounds. For Switzerland, we recommend using the Swisstopo Map Live maps, which are the most up-to-date and offer higher zoom levels. The old Swisstopo 2013 maps will soon be withdrawn due to cost and duplication. In addition, they are no longer current and have less zoom. If you prefer aerial views, the Swisstopo SWISSIMAGE Live maps give you the best result.

If you use an Android smartphone, you can also download these maps in advance, so that you can use them in the field without an internet connection. To do this, click on the button at the top left of NaturaList, choose Preferences, then Offline Maps, choose the desired layer (Swisstopo Map Live or Swisstopo SWISSIMAGE Live) and then click on the Add Location button to define the desired area. The maximum zoom level determines how detailed the map will be: the larger the perimeter and the maximum zoom level, the larger the download. For mapping, a high zoom level of 18 or 19 is required, but for everyday use you can limit yourself to a lower level, e.g. with Swisstopo Map Live, all of Switzerland at level 11 or 12 and your favourite region at least at level 15.

Problems?

If the background remains grey, check whether the correct map layer is checked in the list.

 
In the Preferences > Map Layer menu, you can choose the default map layer.

If you cannot download any swisstopo map, it means that you have probably not chosen the ornitho.ch species list in the settings. The right to download these maps is linked to the species list. Go to Preferences > Species list and under "Birds" choose "ornitho.ch".

Your ornitho.ch-Team

In recent years, there has been a encouraging increase in observation activity. Nevertheless, there are still many kilometre squares in Switzerland that are rarely visited by ornithologists. With the "Terra incognita" project, we would like to encourage you to go birdwatching away from the ornithological hotspots from time to time. Even if no rarities are seen, reports from such areas are very interesting for the Swiss Ornithological Institute - especially on complete observation lists. This zoomable map shows you exactly where the rarely visited kilometre squares are (all kilometre squares with a maximum of 2 excursions since 2018). The map can also be accessed at any time via the Instructions and Tips > Terra incognita menu. We wish you nice walks and maybe you will nevertheless succeed in making a surprising observation.

Your ornitho.ch-Team

No less than three first records for the country were obtained in the year 2021, namely the first records of Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri, Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis and Bonelli’s Eagle A. fasciata. The latter concerned a satellite-tagged bird originating from Greece not seen in the field. Other highlights included the returning Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis, the first record of Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax since 1996, the fifth record each of Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata and Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus, as well as the first record of Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica since 1998 (tenth record overall). A total of four observations of the Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii (records 11 to 14) corresponds to a record number. Once again, a strong influx of the Rosy Starling Pastor roseus was recorded. However, with a total of 25 records, it was much less pronounced than in the previous year.

The forms for documenting these observations can be filled in directly on ornitho.ch : the online form appears automatically when a sighting needs to be documented. If you use NaturaList, you will see these observations on your ornitho.ch homepage, under the heading "My records without rarity report". In the absence of photographs or recordings, the most important part of the form is the detailed description of the bird. Describe all the details you observed (the bill, its length, shape and colour, the pattern of the head, back, wings, underparts, tail, rump and undercaudals, length and colour of the legs, a sketch can also be very useful) and transcribe as much as possible the calls or song. This information is very important for documenting unusual sightings.

The CAvS would like to thank you for your valuable contributions and wishes you many pleasant surprises in the coming months!