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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 23h

Yesterday we managed to count a combined 239.735 birds! This was the SECOND BIGGEST DAY EVER in BRC history! We also broke our day- and season total for Black Kites, our day-record for Large eagles, Greater Spotted and even for Steppe Eagles!   Photos: Bart Hoekstra, Thijmen Stolk

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 27/09/2026

ONE. MILLION. RAPTORS. COUNTED!!!! A huge thank you to the 39(!) volunteers who have joined us this season so far. Photos: Mitra Daneshvar, Valentin Cordes, Elle Heiser, Thijmen Stolk, Bart Hoekstra, Olaf Gwiazdowski

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 20/09/2026

CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD!!! This year, we have been lucky to observe 56 CHBs so far, double our average of 28! Photos by Thijmen Stolk, Valentin Cordes, and Yang Li

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 16/09/2026

We are halfway through BRC’s 18th autumn count and in the midst of our Black Kite peak! With all this exciting kite chaos, it feels like an appropriate time to shout out our sponsor, Kite Optics! Enjoy a 10% discount with the following promo code: BRC2500KT Photos: Valentin Cordes

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 03/09/2026

500.000 birds counted!!! The past three days, the skies have exploded with Honey Buzzards, resulting in daily(!) totals of more than 90.000. Photos by Thijmen Stolk, Jess Cosentino, Yang Li, Mansour Elkerdany, Toka Eldakamawy, Olaf Gwiazdowski, and Sofia Meskhidze

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 01/09/2026

We reached 250,000 birds! This sets us ahead of the average counted by this date. Undoubtedly, the star of the show for the past week has been European Honey-Buzzards, which comprise 98% of our current totals. Photos by Valentin Cordes and Tanja Schachner.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 18/08/2026

After a few drizzly days on station, the clouds finally parted and streams of Honey-Buzzards began to flow through the bottleneck - today’s raptor total was 903! Photo credits: Valentin Cordes, Lauren Evans, Oscar Hazell, Toka Eldakamawy

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 12/08/2026

Today was the first day of BRC’s 18th autumn raptor count! While raptor migration isn’t yet in full swing, our first Honey-Buzzards, Booted Eagles, White Storks, and Black Storks rewarded our efforts scanning today’s sunny skies. Photos by Lauren Evans, Valentin Cordes, and Jess Cosentino.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 10/08/2026

The 2026 BRC coordinators have arrived in Batumi and eagerly await this season's outstanding team! We are very grateful to our sponsor, Kite Optics, for providing stellar optics and financial support to make this year's count possible!

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 09/08/2026

Meet our trainees! Toka from Egypt, Arda from Türkiye, and Redha from Lebanon will join us as the 2026 cohort of the Flyway Monitoring Traineeship. We set up this traineeship program with OSME last year. Read more about the program and trainees: www.batumiraptorcount.org/news/2026/8/...

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 04/04/2026

Our 2026 Flyway Monitoring Traineeship is open for applications from raptor enthusiasts living in the OSME region. Learn all about raptor migration, identification and what it takes to run a count like the BRC, and receive up to €1300 to cover costs. www.batumiraptorcount.org/flyway-monit... 🪶

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 01/04/2026

Call for Counters! Join BRC in Autumn 2026 to witness the magnificent migration of >1 million raptors, improve your ID skills, and contribute to population monitoring! Fees: €10-24/day with discounts available! Read more & apply here: www.batumiraptorcount.org/volunteer-as-raptor-migration-counter

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 24/12/2025

Recommended read: our 2025 Autumn Report is out! As part of our tradition and commitment, we’ve compiled a comprehensive overview of the season’s highlights and phenological peculiarities — complemented by many beautiful photos of both birds and people! 👉 batumiraptorcount.org/autumn-report-2025

Short-toed Eagle. Photo by Nikolina Bukovac.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 21/10/2025

It’s a wrap! 🎉 Today marked the final day of #BRC17! What an unforgettable season it’s been: records broken with countless surprises and memories made. All the details will be included in our upcoming autumn report, which will be released soon. Keep an eye on our social media to stay up-to-date.

The last bird of the season? Thas was a Steppe Buzzard of course! Photo by Bart Hoekstra.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 20/10/2025

1.5 MILLION RAPTORS! 🦅🤯 For the first time in BRC history, we have recorded a staggering 1.5 million raptors in a single autumn season — a true milestone after 17 years of counting! Read more here: www.batumiraptorcount.org/brc17/2025/10/15-million-raptors #ornithology #RaptorResearch

Steppe Buzzards moving through the cloudy Batumi bottleneck. Photo by Tohar Tal.

The team of coordinators at station 3 — for a change.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 05/10/2025

Live from the field! The 1,422,172nd bird — a juvenile Black Kite flying through the misty clouds — crossed our transect line this afternoon, making 2025 the BIGGEST year in BRC history!! Stay tuned for more!

Black Kite making it's way through the mist - though views, yet so rewarding! Photo by Bart Hoekstra.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 01/10/2025

170.000 RAPTORS IN ONE DAY! After yesterday’s heavy rain and a quiet morning, today the sky exploded with Steppe Buzzards and large eagles! Continuing from 10 am until almost the end of the count. At some point, we counted over 14.000 raptors in less than 20 minutes. THAT'S BATUMI! #ornithology

Today's totals! See our website for more details!

Steppe Buzzards. Photo by Filiep T'jollyn

After-count team photo - with perhaps the most beautiful rainbow ever seen in the background

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 29/09/2025

In between the eagles, Griffon Vultures appeared! Watching one glide alongside the eagles just proved how absolutely massive these vultures are! Although its very close pass did make us wonder about our scent after so many days of counting... For daily updates & news: batumiraptorcount.org/data 2/2

Lesser Spotted Eagle and Griffon Vulture - Photo by Filiep T'jollyn

Griffon Vulture - Photo by Filiep T'jollyn

Check our website for daily updates, seasonal totals, and news flashes

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 29/09/2025

After the thrill of reaching the million, we went straight to the peak of diversity. The challenge of counting high numbers of birds slowly shifted into identifying the (relatively) fewer but more difficult ones: the large eagle species! But they also brought a special guest along...👇 1/2

Lesser Spotted Eagle - Photo by Eduardo Campos Wals

Lesser Spotted Eagle - Photo by Matthew Sprangers

Black Kite (left) and Steppe Eagle (right) - Photo by Matthew Sprangers

Lesser Spotted Eagle - Photo by Filiep T'jollyn

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 22/09/2025

A true Bluesky — filled with raptors! After days of rain, we were greeted by a bright, blue, cloudless sky this morning! The result? Thousands of birds and a high species diversity. With the main message: the eagles are coming! Stay tuned for more! For daily totals: www.batumiraptorcount.org/data

Marsh Harrier. Photo by Nikolina Bukovac

Short-toed Eagle and Black Kite. Photo by Nikolina Bukovac.

Greater Spotted Eagle. Photo by Nikolina Bukovac.

Where are the birds? Somewhere up there in the blue sky!

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 17/09/2025

This achievement was only possible thanks to our amazing and hard-working team – counters, trainees, coordinators – and our wonderful host families for their endless hospitality. Check out our daily counts and news flashes here: www.batumiraptorcount.org/data 2/2

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 17/09/2025

ONE MILLION RAPTORS! The wait is over... Today #BRC17 hit the earliest 1-million mark in BRC history! Usually, this happens around end-September, but this year the raptors clearly had other plans. And with still over a month to go, we expect plenty more to come! 1/2 #ornithology #RaptorResearch

One of many kettles of Black Kites we've counted over the past days. Photo by Sander Bruylants.

A crisp juvenile Lesser Spotted Eagle in beautiful light. Photo by Sander Bruylants.

Screenshot of our live seasonal raptor 'counter' on the website.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 10/09/2025

2/2 Most mornings start, as tradition dictates, with harriers. Sometimes tricky to ID when flying against a rising sun, but always a joy to see! Occasionally, we may get distracted by non-targets, but only when they pose nicely like this Levant Sparrowhawk 😉 📸Nikolina Bukovac & Jonathan Meire

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 10/09/2025

The Honey Buzzards keep on coming! With another 50K+ counted today, we’ve now passed half a million HBs this season! Rising numbers of Black Kites — as their peak is still ahead — pushed our overall total past 700K! And it’s not just the bulk species 👇 #ornithology 📸Eduardo C. Wals 1/2

A single Honey Buzzard flying low through the bottleneck

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 09/09/2025

Foremost, we found it an exciting experience to publish our scientific debate in such a public manner, and thank @moveandconserve.bsky.social and co-authors for the constructive and cordial discussion! Exciting times ahead — only together can we connect birds, people & places across the flyway!

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 06/09/2025

Luckily, we have a great team of counters, trainees, and coordinators to count and identify the many thousands of raptors heading their way! Make sure to check out our daily count updates and season totals here: www.batumiraptorcount.org/data Stay tuned for more news from #BRC17! 3/3

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 06/09/2025

We are experiencing a particularly exciting season so far! For example, we've counted exceptionally high numbers of Short-toed Eagles, Marsh Harriers, and Black Kites! Meanwhile, we're not even halfway through the season yet, with still so much to come. 2/3 Photos by Eduardo C. Wals & Paul Buntfuß

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 06/09/2025

HALF A MILLION RAPTORS! 🦅 After a few slower days (~30K+), #BRC17 hit the absolute jackpot yesterday! Around 11 am, the floodgates opened — massive streams of Honey Buzzards & Black Kites pushed us past 100K raptors in a single day! Bringing the season total to 540K😍 🧵1/3 Video by Zülfü Farajli

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 03/09/2025

In the upcoming week or so, we expect to count another 100-200K Honey Buzzards as we're moving towards the half a million raptors milestone. You can follow our daily count updates, all uploaded to the @trektellen.bsky.social platform, via our website: www.batumiraptorcount.org/data

A screenshot from the Batumi Raptor Count website showing the rolling totals of the current season. You can reach the page via the link in the post.

A flock of Honey Buzzards soaring in the valley against a small cloud and the dark green backdrop of the Colchic Rainforest.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 02/08/2025

BRC at the Avian Odyssey 2025! Join the British Ornithologists’ Club at the Natural History Museum, London, on 20 Sept. @tohar-tal.bsky.social will share how BRC monitors and conserves the migration of 1M+ raptors in Georgia. Tickets (incl. online): www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/... 📸Marc Heetkamp

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 30/07/2025

Can’t wait to get into the raptor migration mode? Take a look back at last year’s #BRC16 richly illustrated autumn report: www.batumiraptorcount.org/autumn-repor...

A mixed stream of Honey Buzzards and Black Kites in between the two stations. The red tarp marks the spot where Station 2 is weathering the weather. Photo by Bart Hoekstra.

A dark morph Booted Eagle showing its signature headlights. Photo by Marc Heetkamp.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 30/07/2025

In less than two weeks, we’ll be back at the Batumi bottleneck for the 17th Batumi Raptor Count #BRC17. Preparations are well underway, and excitement is building. Over the next few months, we’ll have plenty of exciting news to share with you — it’s already shaping up to be another memorable season.

A male Montagu's Harrier flying by at sunrise. Photo by Bart Hoekstra.

Rain pushes the Honey Buzzards downwards towards eye level. Great conditions for photography, although a little dark. Photo by Bart Hoekstra.

Hobby leaving with a prey after it fought over the prey with another Hobby — an amazing display of their aerial acrobatics. Photo by Bart Hoekstra.

Station 2 could be seen from miles away last year, thanks to its strikingly red tarp. Although this did not seem to bother the birds much, with plenty of eye-level, close views of raptors. Photo by Paula Menzel.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 19/06/2025

If you're thinking ahead to 2026, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss next year's call for counters. www.batumiraptorcount.org/newsletter We also have a LOT of exciting news coming up, so stay tuned! Photo by Aris Vouros.

Eye to eye with an adult male Pallid Harrier. Photo by Aris Vouros.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 02/05/2025

In addition, we still welcome applicants for our fully-funded Flyway Monitoring Traineeship for ambitious conservationists from the OSME region! More info: www.batumiraptorcount.org/volunteer Apply now — confirmations go out in 2 weeks, and interviews for trainee positions start soon after. 2/2

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 02/05/2025

Would you like to experience mind-boggling raptor migration by helping us count over 1 million raptors this autumn? Yes? Perfect! Because volunteer slots for both some long-term and plenty of short-term positions of 2 weeks are still available. But, there is more...👇 1/2

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 15/03/2025

Call for Counters! Join BRC in autumn 2025 to witness the magnificent migration of >1 million raptors, improve your ID skills, and contribute to population monitoring! Fees: €10-24/day with discounts available! Read more & apply here: www.batumiraptorcount.org/volunteer-as-raptor-migration-counter

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 27/02/2025

Soaring to success: We reached our €30,000 crowdfunding goal for Autumn 2025! We are delighted and proud to announce that — thanks to your incredible generosity once again! — we have reached €30,000 to fund our work in the upcoming year! Read more here: www.batumiraptorcount.org/news/2025/2/...

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 23/02/2025

Will your donation bring us across the finish line? Thanks to the incredible support we received in recent days, we are now tantalizingly close to reaching our crowdfunding target of €30.000! Learn more about our work and how to support us here: www.batumiraptorcount.org/support 1/2

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 05/02/2025

We're almost there! We have now raised €26.500 of our €30.000 target for the 2025 autumn count. Only €3.500 more to continue our vital monitoring, education, and conservation work in the Batumi bottleneck! 🙏 Support us today! ➡️ www.batumiraptorcount.org/support

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 24/01/2025

To continue our monitoring work, including the traineeships, we still need your support! We have already raised more than 80% of the target! Support us today: www.batumiraptorcount.org/support 3/3

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 24/01/2025

We are incredibly proud and excited about this season's trainees, who have done a fantastic job! Read more about the traineeship here: www.batumiraptorcount.org/news/2024/6/... And the reflections by our trainees and OSME here: osme.org/2024/11/refl... 2/3

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 24/01/2025

This year, we launched our Flyway Traineeship Program, funded by @_OSME! We welcomed Mitra Daneshvar (Iran) and Alyona Kaptyonkina (Kazakhstan) as our first trainees, as they joined the autumn count and learned to run and coordinate a standardized raptor monitoring project... 1/3

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 19/01/2025

Thanks to generous people, our fundraiser has been steadily increasing this weekend! Let's keep the momentum going and help us reach the 30K target to secure the 2025 autumn migration count🙏🍀 If you haven’t done so yet, please consider supporting us: batumiraptorcount.org/support

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 12/01/2025

After receiving lots of positive responses on the project, we aim to continue in 2025! However, all activities rely on our annual autumn count! We still need 6.300 EU to continue in 2025 – please consider supporting us (www.batumiraptorcount.org/support) and sharing our message! 3/3

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 12/01/2025

Together with Nature Conservation Georgia, we visited 300 students and 25+ teachers at 13 different schools! We also gave a workshop to 21 teachers currently teaching about birds in their respective schools. Read more: www.batumiraptorcount.org/news/2024/4/education-activities-are-kicking-off 2/3

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 12/01/2025

Education by BRC! This year, we continued our education project at schools around the Batumi bottleneck.🧑‍🏫 We focussed on assisting educational centers that are working with our recently published education booklet to raise awareness about birds and the environment!🦅🍀 🧵1/3

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 08/01/2025

Since launching the webshop, it has been so heartwarming to see all the support and orders coming in — thank you!💚 Let’s keep the momentum up by sharing our fundraising cause with your family, friends, and any bird lovers you know! 👉 www.batumiraptorcount.org/support

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 07/01/2025

Spare a minute of your time to watch this short summary of what @batumiraptorcount.org does!🙏 Please consider supporting us: www.batumiraptorcount.org/support 🍀 #Ornithology #Birds #RaptorResearch #CitizenScience #BirdsOfPrey #BirdMigration #Crowdfunding @trektellen.bsky.social

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 05/01/2025

We're still expanding our collection, but we're confident you'll find something you love! Each item is made for you upon order - producing items on demand instead of in bulk helps to reduce overproduction, minimise waste, and lessen our environmental impact. Happy shopping! 2/2

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 05/01/2025

Our webshop is open! Our webshop is not just about selling merchandise; it's about supporting a meaningful cause. Every purchase you make directly funds our project and supports our important monitoring and conservation work in the Batumi region! 👉 store.batumiraptorcount.org 1/2

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