Finnish nature lovers - from amateur bird watchers to seasoned ornithologists - are taking part in an annual exercise to count the number and variety of backyard birds.
‘Pihabongaus’ is the country’s biggest bird event and takes place over two days this weekend.
This is the 13th time the bird count has been done, with more than 20,000 people participating at locations all round Finland last year.
People are encouraged to watch the birds in their own backyard for an hour, and to report the findings to the BirdLife Suomi organisation either online, or by sending a postcard.
Bird watchers should note which species show up, and how many there are. The results help form a more accurate picture of changes in Finnish birds.
“‘Pihabongaus’ is not a competition, so the number of birds discovered is not essential. The most important thing is participation and reporting, even if there is one bird in sight. The results of pihabongaus provide valuable information on changes in our winter birds in Finland” says the organisation.
BirdLife Suomi’s patron is First Lady Jenni Haukio.
