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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 · 18/04/2026

⏳ Just 7 days to apply for the Flyway Monitoring Traineeship Spend a month at Batumi Raptor Count, learning hands-on migration monitoring in one of the world’s largest raptor flyways. Fully funded travel + acco. Open to conservationists in OSME region. www.batumiraptorcount.org/flyway-monit... 🪶🦅

batumiraptorcount.org

BRC Flyway Monitoring Traineeship — Batumi Raptor Count

We are raising \u20AC30,000 to continue our monitoring, conservation and education work in 2026.

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

We aim to strengthen capacity along the East Afro-Eurasian Flyway. This fully-funded opportunity enables ambitious conservationists from the OSME region to gain hands-on experience they can implement in their home countries. 🪶 Info & Testimonials: www.batumiraptorcount.org/flyway-monit...

batumiraptorcount.org

BRC Flyway Monitoring Traineeship — Batumi Raptor Count

We are raising \u20AC30,000 to continue our monitoring, conservation and education work in 2026.

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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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Reposted by Batumi Raptor Count

Tohar Tal @tohar-tal.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

NEW PUBLICATION! Long time coming — now out: the results of our pilot spring raptor counts in Batumi! Read about seasonal contrasts in raptor migration, the eastern Black Sea coast as a principal spring flyway, and much more. 🦅 Paper: doi.org/10.5253/arde... #ornithology @batumiraptorcount.org

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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 · 18/11/2025

A typical Batumi migration scene, illustrating the idea of an ‘aerial niche’. For Steppe Buzzards in our bottleneck, that niche is often somewhere between the clouds: great to watch, tricky to count. Fascinating paper by @cnilsson.science et al: doi.org/10.1016/j.tr... 📸 @barthoekstra.bsky.social

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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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Reposted by Batumi Raptor Count

Bart Hoekstra @barthoekstra.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

170K raptors! 🤯 8 yrs in the making, but I’ve finally witnessed a 100k+ raptors day while on the station actually counting the bulk of it. Incredible experience. Still feeling cross-eyed from staring through the scope non-stop for almost 10hrs. 📸: the Shuamta team at the end of this incredible day

Team photo of the Shuamta team which counted 145k of the 170k raptors yesterday. I’m on the right.

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Reposted by Batumi Raptor Count

Tom NatureWalks @tomnw.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Topteam!!!

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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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Reposted by Batumi Raptor Count

Wouter Vansteelant @wmgvs.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Astounding for the @batumiraptorcount.org crew to reach the 1 million milestone so early in the season. 😳 Congrats to all volunteers and flyway trainees, expertly led by the first ever all-women coordinating team: Eva Drukker, Elien Hoekstra and Mitra Daneshvar. Celebrations are in order! 🤩

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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 · 09/09/2025

A new study led by @moveandconserve.bsky.social used GPS tracking to test the monitoring potential of Eilat and Batumi. An invaluable step toward linking counted birds to their origins, but we found it needed some elaboration from a migration count perspective! Our commentary: tinyurl.com/nnbzu7kc

tinyurl.com

One million raptors: But where do they come from? — Batumi Raptor Count

As a migration counter, you can’t help but wonder: “Where did the bird I just tallied come from, and where is it going?” In light of BRC’s main aim — monitoring raptor population trends — this very ...

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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 · 03/09/2025

The Honey Buzzards have well and truly arrived, so the first 296,911 have already been counted #BRC17 🪶. It's been a period of everything: rain, fog, blazing sun, and then suddenly the sky explodes with raptors in typical Batumi fashion. The team's report: www.batumiraptorcount.org/brc17/2025/8...

batumiraptorcount.org

The Honey Buzzards have arrived! — Batumi Raptor Count

What week it has been in the bottleneck! The weather threw everything at us—rain, fog, blazing sun—but the migration didn’t stop, and neither did we.

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 20/08/2025

We've now had the first 1000+ raptor day at #BRC17 — and y'day we were already well above 4000+ in a single day. Numbers that will continue to rise as we're approaching the peak of Honey Buzzard migration in the final days of August and first of September. www.batumiraptorcount.org/brc17/2025/8...

batumiraptorcount.org

The first 1000+ raptors day — Batumi Raptor Count

It has been 6 days now since the start of the count and yesterday was our first 1000+ day! Finally!!

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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 14/08/2025

We are off! The #BRC17 count has officially started! Until Oct 21st, we'll be counting 1+ million raptors. 🤞🪶 For the first time in years, we'll be posting many of the posts on our main social media channels to our website — and via our website also here. www.batumiraptorcount.org/brc17/2025/8...

batumiraptorcount.org

The count has started! — Batumi Raptor Count

Yesterday was the first day of the 17th autumn count. With a small team of counters we counted a small number of birds for this first day.

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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 · 13/07/2025

Meet our trainees! Motahareh from Iran, Yaren from Turkey and Leyla from Azerbaijan will join us as the 2025 cohort of the Flyway Monitoring Traineeship. We set up this traineeship program with OSME last year. Read more about the program and our trainees: www.batumiraptorcount.org/news/2025/7/...

batumiraptorcount.org

Flyway Monitoring Trainees of 2025 — Batumi Raptor Count

Last year, we launched the BRC Flyway Monitoring Traineeship , a new initiative developed together with our long-time partner OSME , to support and empower ambitious bird conservationists from acros...

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Reposted by Batumi Raptor Count

Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Trying to figure out if we are doing what we think we are doing in migratory bird count surveys. Now the blog version: bou.org.uk/blog-efrat-w... @bou.org.uk @batumiraptorcount.org @yaelbird.bsky.social 🪶🐾🧪

bou.org.uk

Who are we counting? - British Ornithologists' Union

Coupling GPS data and bird count data to improve our understanding of bird migration

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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 · 19/06/2025

Time flies! In less than 2 months, we'll be back at the Batumi bottleneck for the 70 best days of the year. From 12/08 to 21/10, we'll be counting >1 million raptors 🦅 again. #BRC17 🪶 We're thrilled that all volunteer positions this year are filled. There's a waiting list for those still dreaming:

batumiraptorcount.org

Volunteer as Raptor Migration Counter — Batumi Raptor Count

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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 · 17/04/2025

We aim to strengthen capacity along the East Afro-Eurasian Flyway. This fully-funded opportunity enables ambitious conservationists from the OSME region to gain hands-on experience they can implement in their home countries. Info & testimonials: www.batumiraptorcount.org/flyway-monit...

batumiraptorcount.org

BRC Flyway Monitoring Traineeship — Batumi Raptor Count

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