Press releases

MINSK, 29 August (BelTA) – Belarus will play host to the birdwatching championship Birdrace 2016 on 3 September, BelTA learned from the public association APB BirdLife Belarus.

“We invite everyone interested in birds to take part in the 13th open birdwatching championship Birdrace 2016. The competition will be traditionally held on the first Saturday of September. The task of each four-member team is to spot as many bird species as possible within 12 hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. We invite bird enthusiasts from around the world to participate in the tournament held once a year,” the organizers said.

They explained that September is a period of active bird migration over the territory of Belarus. “Therefore, it is possible to see both our birds that have not left for the tropics yet and northern bird species transiting over Belarus. There is a chance of spotting the dunlin, curlew sandpiper, little stint, ruddy turnstone, red knot, bar-tailed godwit, sanderling, and other species,” representatives of APB BirdLife Belarus said.

Last year, the winner team spotted as many as 112 bird species. “In 2014, the best result was 120 species, which is the current record for Belarus,” the specialists noted.

APB BirdLife Belarus is the biggest non-governmental environmental organization in Belarus and the national partner of the world’s largest nature conservation partnership BirdLifeInternational. It has 3,500 members and associates, some 120 school clubs and 14 offices across Belarus. The public association aims to protect biodiversity and engage the public in nature conservation activities.