Moscow became the leader in the number of participants in the all-Russian sparrow census

Published on: 2026-09-27

Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –

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The results of the summer stage of the All-Russian Sparrow Census “Sparrows on the Bushes” have been summed up. It took place from August 8 to 16. Participants of the event surveyed more than 6,300 locations in 78 regions of Russia. The results showed that the population of urban sparrows remains stable.

More than 8,500 people took part in the census. They not only counted the birds but also checked the territories that had already been surveyed during previous campaigns, as well as searched for new habitats of the feathered.

As a result of the campaign, more than 102 thousand sparrows were counted in the country. This number is slightly lower compared to the data from summer 2025, but noticeably higher than the figure of 2024. The organizers note that this difference indicates not a decline in the number of birds, but a seasonal specificity of the count.

“In summer, sparrows are in their nesting period: they hide in the foliage and stay in small family groups, so we count almost a third fewer of them than in winter. To help volunteers identify species more accurately, we conducted 24 bird recognition workshops. This year, Moscow became the leader in the number of participants in the campaign. The department trained volunteers and helped them master the counting methodology to ensure the census was as accurate as possible,” noted Natalia Chukhraeva, deputy head.

Department of Environmental Management and Protection of the City of Moscow.

As in the two previous summer seasons, the most common bird is the house sparrow — observers recorded over 58,200 individuals. The second place goes to the tree sparrow (over 32,200). In 11,500 cases, the species could not be determined. However, the proportion of unidentified sparrows decreased from 16.4 percent in 2025 to 11.3 percent this year. This indicates an increase in the volunteers’ professional skills and the quality of training provided by organizers in the regions.

The organizers attribute some decrease in the recorded number of sparrows to the birds’ behavior in August. While in winter the birds gather in flocks at feeders, in summer they less often linger on branches and behave more quietly. Moreover, they are concealed by dense foliage. To spot and count the birds, volunteers need to be much more experienced and attentive.

In the capital, the event is coordinated by specialists from the city’s eco-centers Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection. They conduct training sessions, issue methodological recommendations, and check observation data forms before sending them to the federal database. In addition, the agency organizes work with city residents and high-quality volunteer training. This year, more than 150 people attended the training events.

In the capital, 664 observation points were recorded, and 890 volunteers took part in the survey — this is the best result in the country. The capital’s observers counted more than 11 thousand sparrows.

The winter stage of counting will take place in February 2027.

The campaign has been held with the support of the Russian Bird Conservation Union and regional environmental authorities since 2023. Each season it attracts more and more concerned citizens ready to contribute to science.

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