Birdwatching increasingly popular thanks to apps and pandemic

More and more Dutch people are going out to watch birds and are reporting what they have spotted online. Figures that ANP requested from Waarneming.nl show that the number of spotted birds has risen from 4.7 million in 2019 to 6.7 million last year. Waarneming.nl is a website where nature lovers can register birds and other animals they have seen.

The number of birdwatchers increased significantly, especially during the coronavirus years, but birdwatching also remained popular in the years after the pandemic. "During the coronavirus period, there was little to do, and many people sought out nature, for example, to watch birds," says Amadea Boneschansker of the Dutch Bird Protection Society.

"I can well imagine that people who live in the city with all the hustle and bustle that entails continued to do this. We also see that the group of people interested in birds is becoming increasingly diverse, of different ages and backgrounds. They want to experience nature in their own way, for example, inspired by podcasts such as Vogelspotcast."

This year, the counter on Waarneming.nl stands at 4.8 million spotted birds up to and including the beginning of July. According to the site, the buzzard and the great white egret have been the birds reported most often for years. Texel is by far the birdwatcher's paradise of the Netherlands: this year, some 165,000 birds have already been reported from the Wadden Island. The Zeeland town of Schouwen-Duiveland, Altena in Brabant, and the municipality of Lelystad, including the Oostvaardersplassen, follow.

In addition to the corona effect, technological developments are also responsible for the increase. For example, Waarneming.nl mentions the arrival of the ObsIdentify app. This app automatically recognizes animals or plants in a photo and adds them to Waarneming.nl. The bird sound recognition app Merlin Bird also makes it easier to start birdwatching and is a favorite of Boneschansker of the Bird Protection Society. What else is needed? "A good pair of binoculars to actually see the birds. On the Bird Protection Society website, we can help you find the most suitable model."