Unlocking the Power of Citizen Science: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Bird Protection Areas in Germany

The effectiveness of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated by member states of the European Union for bird conservation has been evaluated using citizen science platforms in a new study by researchers at the University of Göttingen and Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten (DDA). The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, analyzed data from 742 protected areas for birds across Germany to assess their impact on bird populations.

Citizen science platforms, such as ornitho.de, were used to gather observations from thousands of people across the country. These platforms provide a wealth of data, with ornitho.de alone containing more than 90 million records. However, the researchers had to carefully select and analyze only complete and valuable lists to minimize errors in the data collection process.

The results of the study showed that 62% of the species studied were more likely to be found in a Special Protection Area than outside of it. This indicates that the areas were well selected in the 2000s when they were designated. However, when looking at the period from 2012 to 2022, positive developments were only identified for 17% of the species. Meadow birds such as black-tailed godwits and curlews were among the species that benefited from targeted habitat management within the protected areas.

Professor Johannes Kamp, who led the analyses, emphasized that designating a Special Protection Area is not enough to halt the decline of bird populations. He stressed the need for better staffing, funding, and targeted conservation measures to support endangered species effectively. Dr. Jakob Katzenberger, who coordinated the research, highlighted the importance of citizen contributions to the study, showing the potential of online platforms for tracking large-scale changes in bird populations.

The research was funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) as part of a project aimed at implementing measures for nationwide harmonized bird monitoring in EU special protection areas. This study sheds light on the effectiveness of SPAs for bird conservation and underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring and conservation efforts to protect vulnerable bird species.