Get Involved
Call for Counters: We’re looking for volunteers for Autumn 2026
After successfully completing another crowdfunding campaign, we’re happy to announce the call for counters. The application form is now open for Autumn 2026.
Field updates
And… it’s a wrap. What a season!
It all came to a beautiful end. We began the count with a Marsh Harrier and wrapped it up with a Steppe Buzzard, both iconic species for the bottleneck. But so much happened in between...
Field updates
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!
Field updates
What’s going on up north?
Although we haven’t shared many updates about our pilot count at Kvirike, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been counting!
Field updates
Kite, Kite, Kite Optics
Kite, kite, KITE! We’d like to give a big shout-out to our sponsor this year, Kite Optics, for the T-shirts and optics.
Field updates
1,422,172 and counting
We’ve broken the season record of 1,422,171 raptors set in 2021! At 14:52 today, the 1,422,172nd bird crossed our transect line to the east - a juvenile Black Kite making its way through the misty clouds.
Field updates
The weeks of diversity
The weeks of diversity have started! After the thrill of the million, we went straight through to the peaks of diversity. And that brings along… the eagles.
Field updates
1,000,000 raptors — already!
It was a day full of suspense. We only needed a little over 10.000 more birds. We extracted every single one of them out of the bright blue sky.
Field updates
Wave after wave after wave
Over 800,000 raptors counted — and we’re not even halfway through the season!
Reports & Research
One million raptors: But where do they come from?
As a migration counter, you can’t help but wonder where the bird you just tallied came from, and where it is going. We look at a new study that helps answer this question for the raptors migrating through Batumi.
Field updates
Half a million raptors!
Today we counted over 100K birds, which means we reached the half a million milestone!
Field updates
High up above: the first few days from Kvirike
Our pilot count from Chalet Kvirike has now been running for a week and a half, and we must admit we are impressed by what we have so far experienced. Raptors often fly by at eye level, allowing for absolutely incredible views!
Field updates
The Honey Buzzards have arrived!
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.
Field updates
The first 1000+ raptors day
It has been 6 days now since the start of the count and yesterday was our first 1000+ day! Finally!!
Field updates
Station 3 – Pilot count from Chalet Kvirike
Every year the same questions come up at our watch sites: what would we see if we counted from higher up in the foothills of the Lesser Caucasus? Would we see more Harriers? Are birds flying above the clouds?
Field updates
The count has started!
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.
Field updates
Count preparations
Yesterday, the coordinators of 2025 arrived in Batumi - the first all-women coordinating team in the history of BRC!
Get Involved
Call for Counters: We’re looking for volunteers for Autumn 2025
After successfully finishing another crowdfunding campaign, we’re happy to announce the call for counters. We have now opened the application form and are…
Merchandise
BRC 2024 T-Shirt
As you know, the start of a new count season also means that we are launching a new annual T-Shirt. For the 16th edition of the Batumi Raptor Count, we’re featuring a new species on our T-Shirts: the Black Kite.
Get Involved
We’re looking for volunteers for Autumn 2024
After successfully finishing another crowdfunding campaign, we’re happy to announce the call for counters.
Birds & Birding
GPS-tagged Greater Spotted Eagle at Batumi
On October 1st a juvenile Greater Spotted Eagle carrying a GPS tracker was seen passing Station 1.
Merchandise
BRC 2023 T-Shirt
As you know, the start of a new count season also means that we are launching a new annual T-Shirt. For the 15th edition of the Batumi Raptor Count, we’ve decided to feature a new species on our T-Shirts, the Booted Eagle.
Get Involved
Urgently needed: Long-term counters for Autumn 2023
For every autumn count we rely on a diverse group of volunteer counters. This year, unusually, most of our long-term positions are still open, and we urgently need people to help fill them.
Fundraising
Successful completion of 2023 Crowdfunding!
Less than three months ago, on Christmas Eve 2022, we re-launched our crowdfunding campaign to fund the upcoming autumn count of 2023.
Get Involved
Count Coordinators for Autumn 2023
We are still raising funds, but preparations for the BRC Autumn Count of 2023 have started. The count will run from the 12th of August until the 21st of October.
Merchandise
BRC 2022 T-Shirt
We are glad to be back counting raptors again! It took us no less than 14 years to — finally — feature this charismatic species on our annual T-shirt: the Short-toed Eagle. Who can resist these eyes and this T-shirt?
Get Involved
We're looking for volunteers for Autumn 2022
After finishing a successful crowdfunding campaign, we’re happy to finally announce the call for counters.
Fundraising
Successful completion of 2022 Crowdfunding!
When we launched our crowdfunding campaign on Christmas Eve 2021 we were not entirely sure what to expect. Over the years we have received endless words of encouragement and appreciation.
Fundraising
Donation Doubling Days!
Today – March 1st 2022 – marks the start of our 3rd and final spring count in Batumi. A historic day, which also marks the start of our final sprint to complete the crowdfunding for the BRC autumn count of 2022.
Get Involved
Count Coordinators for Autumn 2022
We are still raising funds, but preparations for the BRC Autumn Count of 2022 have started. The count will run from the 12th of August until the 21st of October.
Fundraising
World-class migration monitoring at Batumi soars or falls with your support!
Over the past years we have been getting more and more surprised reactions from volunteers and visitors about the fact that Batumi Raptor Count is a 100% volunteer-based organisation.
Merchandise
BRC 2021 T-Shirt
We are glad to be back counting raptors again! Fed up with all the darkness in our lives recently, our designers have created a more colorful T-shirt than ever before.
Get Involved
5 Reasons why you should NOT participate in the Batumi Raptor Count
Since 2008, in over a decade of counts, over 380 volunteers have participated in the annual Batumi Raptor Count. This year, the 13th count is organized, which runs from August 12th until October 21st of 2021.
Get Involved
We're looking for volunteers for Autumn 2021
Have you missed counting raptors as much as we have? If so, we have good news for you: the application round for the BRC volunteer raptor counter positions is now open!
Get Involved
Count Coordinators for Autumn 2021
We approach the future with hope in our hearts and have started planning the BRC Autumn Count 2021. The count will run from the 12th of August until the 21st of October.
Organisation
BRC Autumn Count 2020 Cancelled
It is with a heavy heart that we have to inform you that we are cancelling the BRC autumn count for 2020 due to the ongoing covid19 pandemic.
Reports & Research
Autumn Report 2019 published
The 12th season brought unprecedented numbers of Black Kites, a new raptor species for the BRC counts, and marked the start of an education project in collaboration with local teachers.
Reports & Research
Half Season Report 2019
The 12th edition of the Batumi Raptor Count started differently than previous years, with a brand-new observation platform at Station 1 and an earlier start date. Read on for the season's highlights, from record-breaking rollers to a stunning dark morph Marsh Harrier.
Reports & Research
New publication: Population trends from 8 years of BRC Autumn Counts
For 8 important species for the bottleneck, we have analysed trends over the past 8 years of standardised counts (2011-2018).
Field updates
Season 2019 has started
This year the 12th of August already marked the start of the 12th Batumi Raptor Count. To better detect changes in migration timing, we have decided to start the count 5 days earlier and finish 5 days later.
Reports & Research
Autumn Report 2018 published
The freshly published BRC Autumn Report 2018 features season highlights, phenological peculiarities and general overview with many photos of both birds and people.
Birds & Birding
Black kite with wingtags spotted
On September the 22nd, when 4257 black kites flew by station 1, we spotted a black kite with wingtags and a transmitter on his back.
Field updates
1 Million Raptors!
Yesterday's highlights were the more than 100,000 raptors counted by both stations and the almost 1,700 eagles on Station 1, but we fell just short of the million.
Field updates
Harrier Madness
The best day of the season on Station 2! So far.
Field updates
500,000 Raptors counted!
The birds may not care, but we do: today we passed the 500,000 raptors mark!
Field updates
The first 100,000
We have now been counting for 12 days and yesterday we passed the first milestone of the season: we have counted the first 100,000 birds! The start of the season has been everything but standard this autumn.
Get Involved
5 Reasons why you should NOT participate in Batumi Raptor Count
Since 2008, in a decade of counts, over 300 volunteers have participated in the annual Batumi Raptor Count. This year, the 11th count is held, which runs from August 17th until October 16th of 2018.
Birds & Birding
Unexpected plumage: immature Honey Buzzard
The BRC 2017 autumn count marks a special anniversary season, and it has already brought plenty of surprises.
Reports & Research
Half-season report
Our 10th Autumn count kicked off at 17th August, with the coordination team and first volunteers arriving to our headquarters in Sakhalvasho a few days before.
Field updates
Half a Million
Today added another 75.000 to the tally. Our volunteers have been counting for exactly 3 weeks now, and have reached a season total of 498.928 raptors! Almost half a million, right? Six more weeks to go, bring it!
Field updates
Volunteer from Kenya - Welcome Martha Mutiso
We are very pleased that for the 10th anniversary of the autumn count, BRC is able to welcome the first African volunteer into our project.
Field updates
TWENTY-thousand Honey Buzzards and counting
Today we saw a first wave of Honey Buzzards coming over. A nice start, more to come ;) The first movements of harriers were noted as well.
Birds & Birding
Rarity: Eleonora's falcon flies over station 2
First rare migrant of the season! Today station 2 enjoyed close views of an Eleonora's Falcon soaring over the counters for a short time.
Field updates
Start of the 10th autumn season count
Tomorrow the 10th edition of the Batumi Raptor Count officially starts! Last days team members were actively working to prepare the count.
Reports & Research
Autumn report 2016 is ready
Autumn report 2016 is ready
Reports & Research
Half-season report for 2016 is out
The 9th season of Batumi Raptor Count has reached the halfway point! Once again we're witnessing a rush of raptor migration, growing enthusiasm for raptor identification, and no shortage of surprises.
Field updates
Season take off - get ready for the peaks
It was a calm start, yes, totally calm. Only few birds passed the stations putting us in disbelief about migration ways but never doubt the birds, they will certainly come.
Field updates
Apparently Montagu's Harrier migrates with delay this year in Batumi
Reaching the average peak around 3 Sep we usually have good numbers already in August. Until 25 Aug we count in average a proportion of 600 and more Montagu's Harrier / MonPalHen.
Field updates
Tomorrow we start to count
Tomorrow we will launch the 9th edition of the Batumi Raptor Count! Coordinators and first volunteer counters have settled in Sakhalvasho, Georgia, during the last days in order to complete preparations.
Reports & Research
Report 2015 is out
BRC continued its monitoring work with another successful season studying the raptor migration in the Batumi bottleneck. In autumn 2015 we managed to count a total of 1.029.478 raptors without double counts!
Field updates
1 million raptors within 7 weeks!
After 7 weeks of counting in autumn 2015 we reached again the season total of 1 million raptors! Steppe Buzzard migration finally kicked off and we counted over 120 000 birds during 3rd, 4th and 5th of October.
Field updates
500.000 within first 3 weeks
The first 3 weeks of raptor migration counting in Batumi are over and we can already say that the start of this season was a big surprise.
Field updates
African-Eurasian day record from Batumi: 264.891 raptors
On 2nd October 2014 our counting team witnessed the largest passage of raptors ever seen outside of the Panamerican Flyway and counted 264.891 raptors in a single day!
Field updates
Halfway through the count
This season we started with some very positive upgrades to Sakhalvasho village. The days of fighting with the blue tarp are finally over… at least on station-1… We now have an actual shelter and proper stairs leading there.
Reports & Research
Updated protocol of monitoring raptors
With the experiences from 6 years counting raptors at Batumi we decided to discuss the protocol, our insights into the migration flow at the bottleneck and the integration of new ideas.
Field updates
End of BRC autumn count 2013
BRC's monitoring of migrating raptors autumn 2013 is over! Yesterday, the 16th of October, was the final day of our monitoring program. In total, from both count stations together 1.229.199 raptors were counted this fall.
Field updates
Catch up on the season
This year’s autumn migration season has been underway for 21 days now, and so far everything points to another great experience for all participants.
Field updates
Ready to count!
The first hours of counting migratory raptors at Batumi has started. Honey Buzzards, Harriers and Bee-eaters have already passed the stations.
Birds & Birding
The first 'Shikra' of BRC: hybrid or aberrant Levant?
After we posted about the first Shikra record of BRC on September 16th, we received several comments about the identification of this challenging accipiter.
Birds & Birding
Shikra: new species for BRC?
Just after his arrival in Batumi, Brecht Verhelst discovered the first putative Shikra (Accipiter badius) ever for the BRC.
Birds & Birding
Dark morph Marsh Harriers
Since the start of the count we have seen a lot of Marsh Harriers. At least 16 of them were adult males of the rare dark morph. In former years only a handful of dark birds passed the stations.
Field updates
African-Eurasian Day Record: 179,342 Honey Buzzards
Few days ago on August 30th we were happy to report to you our all time record of 99,000 Honey Buzzards passing our observatories.
Field updates
Day record of 99.000 Honey Buzzards on 30th August 2012
The unique convergence of migratory raptors in Georgia is strongly shaped by the weather conditions in the region, something the BRC team has long observed firsthand.
Field updates
Count kicked off today
Today the first volunteers, assisted by our coordinators, started the autumn 2012 count. Just a few hours in, they had already reported the season's first juvenile Pallid Harrier, on a very rainy day!
Field updates
Towards the end of the 2011 season…
As the 2011 count draws to a close, the BRC team looks back on a successful season of monitoring, community-based conservation and student exchange in Batumi.
Field updates
Halfway through the season…
The BRC 2011 counts have been running for just over a month, with Honey Buzzard migration in full swing and Steppe Buzzards now taking over. Here's an update on the season so far, our volunteer team, and life on site in Batumi.
Field updates
One week of BRC: 18 volunteers + 6 students vs. 10.000 raptors!
“Too soon.” In the days leading up to the count, villagers here in Sakhalvasho conveyed to us that the count would begin in earnest on 20 August.
Field updates
BRC 2011 … Starting the autumn season!
The heat and haze hung heavy over Sakhalvasho today, as project participants kicked off the first day of the Batumi Raptor Count 2011.
Organisation
Batumi counts on Trektellen
From now on, you'll be able to follow the Batumi counts in real time via www.trektellen.nl!
Organisation
Successful preparation visit
During the first week of March, Johannes and Brecht visited Georgia to make preparations for the upcoming count season.
Organisation
Processing data & looking forward to 2011…
The BRC 2010 count wrapped up successfully on 16 October, and we're already busy planning big things for the 2011 edition, including some changes here on the website.
Field updates
Lots of rain, lots of migration, lots of rain, lots of migration...
Over 10 days since the last update and the weather conditions in Batumi have changed dramatically compared to what we experienced in September.
Field updates
A summary of 2 weeks at Batumi: migration in general & some perspectives on hunting in the bottleneck…
It has been nearly two weeks since the last update and since then there has still not been a long period of unfavourable weather in between the Caucasus and Batumi.
Field updates
BRC 2010: the full state of affairs…
The 2010 Batumi Raptor Count is now halfway so we bring you a longer update than usual.
Field updates
Slow migration, but Oriental Honey-Buzzards on three succesive days...
Following the season's first Crested (Oriental) Honey Buzzard on 9 September, two more were spotted on the following two days, a rare treat during an otherwise slow migration spell.
Field updates
Oriental Honey Buzzard! ... That calls for a little newsflash!
Another 40,000 Honey Buzzards passed through the bottleneck today, capped off by a stunning adult female Oriental Honey Buzzard, only the fourth ever recorded at Batumi.
Field updates
Spectacular migration at the Batumi bottleneck!
It has been a busy week at the Batumi bottleneck, with peak Honey Buzzard migration arriving right on schedule alongside notable sightings of Steppe Eagle and Demoiselle Crane.
Field updates
Short update
After two days of rain the weather is improving and temperatures are rising to 35° and higher on the counting stations.
Field updates
Two weeks of counting ... 100.000 Honey Buzzards!
it has been about two weeks since the start of count and in that time approx. 100.000 Honey Buzzards Pernis aviporus passed the Batumi bottleneck. This included over 60.000 individuals on August 24th.
Field updates
BRC 2010 ... takeoff!
with the start of the count, we can offer you all some more news concerning BRC 2010.