Every year there is a Garden Bird Survey in France to take stock of the wild bird population, just like in the UK. Organized since 2013 by the LPO and the National Museum of Natural History, the national garden bird counting operation allows everyone to take part in the annual survey of garden birds.
How to take part?
You don’t have to be an expert in ornithology to participate, you just need to have a little time and enjoy watching what’s happening in your garden and know how to count.
Choose an observation day : Saturday January 27 or Sunday January 28, and a 1 hour slot.
During this winter period, try to choose the end of the morning or the beginning of the afternoon, when the temperatures are a little warmer and the birds are more active;
- Find a place to observe : a garden or a balcony, in the city or in the countryside, even a public park. Avoid anywhere where there are bird feeders as you will count the same bird several times as it returns to the feeder.
- Count and record for 1 hour all the birds that visit the garden. In order not to count the same bird twice, count only the maximum number of birds of the same species observed at the same time;
- Transmit the data to the Garden Bird Observatory website:www.oiseaudesjardins.fr.
You can download the Garden Bird Survey in France Counting Sheets in French & English below:
To take part in the Garden Bird Survey in France, firstly, go to this website to register: https://www.oiseauxdesjardins.fr/index.php?m_id=1407®istering=1
Choose your location, then click on “j’aimerais participer”
Fill in your information but take special note of the following two “opt-ins”:
- Cochez cette case si vous souhaitez que vos observations soient publiées anonymement. Check this box if you want your comments to be published anonymously.
- Je voudrais cacher mon adresse email aux autres utilisateurs enregistrés. I would like to hide my email address from other registered users.
Once you have registered you will be sent a password via email. Then log back in to the site and click on “Ajouter un Jardin”. Choose your department, then your commune and click on “Suivant”. Give your garden a name (Important: the following step will not be saved if you haven’t named your garden). A map will appear with a red marker that you can drag to your exact location. Then click “Suivant” at the bottom of the map.
On the website, you will then need to fill in a survey about your garden:
Type de jardin :
Privatif Public Balcon
Environnement général :Urbain Péri-urbain Campagne
Surface de jardin sur laquelle vous comptez :
Sélectionnez une surface :
Distance aux zones rurales les plus proches :
Bois le plus proche : Sélectionnez une distance
Prairie la plus proche : Sélectionnez une distance
Champ cultivé le plus proche : Sélectionnez une distance
Composition du jardin
Parterre et arbustes fleuris
Haies (sauf thuyas ou laurier cerise)
Verger, arbres fruitiers
Espaces non entretenus (friches, espaces naturels)
Potager
Bassin, mare
Pelouse tondue
Espaces pavés, gravillonnés
Budleïa (arbre à papillon)
Centaurées et scabieuses (bleuets champêtres)
Valériane, Centranthe rouge
Géraniums et pélargoniums
Lavande
Crucifères (choux, cardamine, giroflée, monnaie du pape, navets …)
Orties
Ronces
Lierre
Trèfles, lotiers et luzernes
Plantes aromatiques (thym, romarin, basilic, …)
Haie de laurier
Question phytosanitaires
Utilisez-vous des engrais ?
Naturels Chimiques
Jamais Occasionnellement Régulièrement
Utilisez-vous des insecticides ?
Naturels Chimiques
Jamais Occasionnellement Régulièrement
Utilisez-vous des herbicides ?
Naturels Chimiques
Jamais Occasionnellement Régulièrement
Utilisez-vous des fongicides ?
Naturels Chimiques
Jamais Occasionnellement Régulièrement
Utilisez-vous des granulés anti-limaces ?
Naturels Chimiques
Jamais Occasionnellement Régulièrement
Utilisez-vous de la bouillie bordelaise ?
Naturelle Chimique
Jamais Occasionnellement Régulièrement
Mangeoires
Type de mangeoire
Distributeur :
Plateau :
Autre :
Quantité de nourriture (par an)
Graines de tournesol :
Multigraines :
Pain/boule de graisse :
Autre :
Nichoirs
Type mésange :
Semi-ouvert :
Autre :
Animaux domestiques
Présence de :
Chien(s) Chat(s)
Résident ou En visite
Autres
Mon jardin est un refuge LPO
Garden type :
Private Public Balcony
General environment :Urban Suburban Countryside
Garden area you are planning :
Select an area :
Distance to nearest rural area :
Nearest woodland :Select a distance
Nearest meadow :Select a distance
Nearest cultivated field :Select a distance
Garden composition
Flowerbeds and shrubs
Hedges (except thuyas or cherry laurel)
Orchard, fruit trees
Untended spaces (wasteland, natural areas)
Vegetable garden
Ponds
Mown lawn
Paved, gravelled areas
Budleia (butterfly tree)
Centaury and scabiosa (wild blueberries)
Valerian, red centranthe
Geraniums and Pelargoniums
Lavender
Crucifers (cabbages, cardamine, wallflowers, turnips, etc.)
Nettles
Brambles
Ivy
Clover, trefoil and alfalfa
Aromatic plants (thyme, rosemary, basil, etc.)
Laurel hedge
Phytosanitary questions
Do you use fertilizers? Natural Chemical
Never Occasionally Regularly
Do you use insecticides? Natural Chemical
Never Occasionally Regularly
Do you use herbicides? Natural Chemical
Never Occasionally Regularly
Do you use fungicides? Natural Chemical
Never Occasionally Regularly
Do you use slug pellets? Natural Chemical
Never Occasionally Regularly
Do you use Bordeaux mixture? Natural Chemical
Never Occasionally Regularly
Feeders
Type of feeder
Dispenser :
Tray :
Other :
Quantity of feed (per year)
Sunflower seeds :
Multigrain :
Bread/fat ball :
Other :
Nest boxes
Chickadee type :
Semi-open :
Other type :
Pets
Presence of : Dog(s) Cat(s)Resident Visiting
Other My garden is an LPO refuge
Click on “Enregistrez”, your garden will be saved and you can come back to this site to enter your bird count during the Garden Bird Survey in France weekend. Just look for “mes jardins” in the left-hand menu to access the form.