Russia Counts 45 Million Sparrows During Annual Census

About 45 million sparrows live across Russia, ornithologist and director of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, Mikhail Kalyakin said, RIA Novosti reports. From February 7 to 15, the annual nationwide census is being conducted, during which participants assess the numbers of house and field sparrows.

"For the European part of Russia, the numbers are relatively clear — about 20 million of both house and field sparrows. In the Asian part, we can only extrapolate these figures and cautiously add another two to three million for each species," explained Kalyakin.

Other Sparrow Species in Russia

There are other sparrow species in Russia, but they are not included in the census, so their numbers can only be estimated. The red sparrow population likely does not exceed 5,000 birds. The black-breasted sparrow, according to the Atlas of Birds of the European part of Russia, is more common, with an estimated 10,000-90,000 pairs. Experts believe the real number is closer to the lower end, around 20-30 thousand pairs.

How the Census Works

The sparrow census is conducted in two stages: winter, in February, and summer, in August. This approach allows specialists to gather precise information on bird populations across as much territory as possible.