SUSANNE WENGER This winter, the evening skies above Langenthal in the canton of Berne were the showcase for hundreds of thousands of bramblings descending on the fir trees to spend the night. Every winter, the bramblings come from Scandinavia to Switzerland, explains Livio Rey, a biologist at Sempach Ornithological Institute: “However, you will only see a mass migration every few years, when the conditions are right.” They need enough beech nuts and there can’t be any snow; the conditions also have to be worse further up north. That’s when the birds move south. Sempach Ornithological Institute is considered something of an authority on all things bird-related. Founded by the Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Vogelkunde und Vogelschutz (Swiss society for ornithology and trust and affection in which it is held by the general public. Although it is not funded by the public sector, it does perform assignments for the Confederation and cantons. Early conservationists The founders, including the first head of the institute, Alfred Schifferli from Sempach, an accountant and ornithologist, wanted to support research into bird life, which was an upand-coming discipline at the time. Schifferli and his assistants ringed many birds to find out more about bird migration. The institute became the main reporting centre for ring recoveries and it provided specimens and eggs for studies. Its foundation is also connected with early nature conservation movements at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in Switzerland. The institute’s purpose has always been to apply its learnings about bird life to benefit the birds. “We have to understand birds in order to protect them and preserve their diversity for future generations,” says Rey, who is based at the headquarters at Lake Sempach, which is just outside the town and comprises a treatment centre for injured birds and a visitors’ centre. On this particular winter day, if you look out at the right time you can see a brightly coloured common kingfisher. Understanding, protection and preservation underpin the work of the institute and, according to Rey, its mission is now more urgent than ever. One of the longest red lists Although birds hold a certain fascination for many people through their song, general visibility and ability to fly, most people do not realise just “Birds are a reflection of the environment” Sempach Ornithological Institute in the canton of Lucerne celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024. This charitable institution is a highly regarded centre of competence in Switzerland and very popular among the population. It also has a warning for us: the diversity of domestic bird life is under threat. how bad their general situation is: 40 per cent of Switzerland’s roughly 200 bird species are currently under threat. The red list of endangered bird species is one of the longest in Europe, according to Rey. And the situation has failed to improve over the past ten years: the number of ‘potentially endangered’ birds on a type of prewarning list has increased. “Contrary to general opinion, Switzerland does not set a good example in terms of bird protection,” stresses the biologist. However, some types of bird are faring better than others, as Rey points out. The birds that live in the forest are prospering, thanks to Switzerland’s relatively stringent forest conservation. The fortunes of herons and birds of prey are also improving. There is a ban on hunting these birds, so their numbers have picked up as a result. Examples include the golden eagle, the reintroduced bearded vulture and the red kite. The red kite was on the verge of extinction, says Rey, but “today we have ten per cent of the global population here in Switzerland”. Cultivated land is bad for birds Many bird species suffer a lot on cultivated land, where intensified crop cultivation has interfered with their habitat. Frequent mowing destroys broods. Extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides is affecting their food supply, i.e. insects. There is also a dearth of small structures, such as hedges or cairns. As a result, some types of bird have disappeared. Bird species that used to frequent the Swiss Plateau have died out, from the grey partridge to the ortolan bunting, a type of songbird. The bright song of the eurasian skylark has become something of a rarity. Sempach Ornitholo- gical Institute on 6 April 1924. Archive photo: Sempach Ornithological Institute bird protection) in April 1924, it is a longstanding institution in Switzerland. The foundation employs almost 160 people and advises the authorities and professional groups, responds to enquiries from the general public and provides information on all things avian. The fact that 75 per cent of its funding comes from donations and legacies testifies to the Swiss Review / March 2024 / No.2 10 Nature and the environment
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