One of the target species of the alpine bird monitoring is the Alpine Accentor. Photo by: Hans Glader.
Alpine bird monitoring gaining momentum in Germany
September 11, 2026
Monitoring alpine birds presents considerable challenges for volunteers. To significantly increase observation effort and thereby improve data quality for alpine species, the DDA (Federation of German Avifaunists), BfN (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation), and LBV (Bavarian Society for the Protection of Birds) redesigned the alpine bird monitoring scheme in the German Alps and launched it in 2024.
One of the target species of the alpine bird monitoring is the Alpine Accentor. Photo by: Hans Glader.
Two programmes target the two main alpine habitats: the MhB (Common Breeding Bird Monitoring) in mountain forests and the MHg (Monitoring High-mountain Birds) above the forest line. Surveys use the MhB methodology, with three (instead of four) annual visits scheduled for survey transects within mountain forests and one required visit for sites in the high-mountain area.
The scheme appears to be highly appealing to bird and mountain enthusiasts, as evidenced by the large number of participants, already about 120. At the end of the third survey season, almost two-thirds of the 230 available survey transects in the Alps have already been covered by volunteers, and 112 bird species have been recorded.
Within the next few years, we will likely be able to calculate reliable German population trends for several widespread alpine species, such as the Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Water Pipit, Alpine Accentor, Ring Ouzel, Alpine Redpoll, and Citril Finch – something that was previously impossible due to a lack of data. Combined with data from the monitoring of rare breeding birds – in particular the rare woodpeckers protocol – there is a strong likelihood that a national Alpine Indicator (part of the indicator Species Diversity and Landscape Quality) can also be calculated in future, to serve as a valuable tool for policymakers to support nature conservation in the German Alps.
Detailed information in German is available on the alpine bird monitoring schemes website and in a recent report introducing the scheme.
Malte Busch
Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten e.V.