Kingfisher becomes bird of the year 2026
Keystone-SDA
The kingfisher has been named Bird of the Year 2026. The colourful species edged out its rivals in a close online vote, BirdLife Switzerland announced on Tuesday.
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More than 18,000 people took part in the poll. The kingfisher secured 30.47% of the vote, just 53 votes ahead of the dipper in second place, which finished on 30.19%.
BirdLife Switzerland once again invited the public to choose the ‘Bird of the Year’, looking for a species to champion near-natural waterways. The kingfisher and dipper topped the poll, followed by the grey wagtail (16.37%), the little ringed plover (12.57%) and the sand martin (10.40%).
BirdLife estimates there are around 400 to 500 breeding pairs of kingfishers in Switzerland, a number that has seen a slight recovery in recent years. The species remains rare and is listed as threatened due to its small population.
Harsh winters can sharply reduce numbers if large stretches of water freeze over, cutting the birds off from their food. But the biggest threat remains the loss of natural habitats, the organisation added.
To help the kingfisher thrive, BirdLife is focusing on river restoration projects and creating new nesting sites. These include building artificial breeding walls and clearing suitable steep banks. The organisation is active in several regions, including the nature centres at La Sauge (canton Vaud), Klingnauer Stausee (canton Aargau) and Neeracherried (canton Zurich).
Translated from German with DeepL/sp
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