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1. Law protection of raptors in Poland
Nineteen species of birds of prey and nine owl species 
regularly nest in Poland. In addition, a single case of 
the Saker Falcon Falco cherrug nesting in the country 
has been confirmed (Tomiałojć & Stawarczyk 2003, 
BirdLife International 2004). Currently, all species 
are protected by Polish law. Until 1975, Goshawks 
Accipiter gentilis, Sparrowhawks A. nisus and Marsh 
Harriers Circus aeruginosus were allowed to be killed.
In 1984, new law was introduced – with innovative, 
highly effective method of protecting nests and broods 
through the establishment of “protection zones”. 
Thus, strict protection areas have been established 
around nests, which are closed to the public and allow 
no forestry activities to be carried out in them. Every 
forest area containing nest-site is protected within a 
radius of 200 m (i.e. about 12.5 ha) throughout the 
year (no admittance, no other activities). In addition, 
the radius is extended to 500 m (ca. 78.5 ha) during 
the breeding season, forbidding people both to enter 
the zone and to conduct any forestry activities. Thus, 
the pressure from people (foresters, hunters, tourists, 
birdwatchers) is reduced to such an extent that the 
birds are not disturbed and can rear their offspring 
successfully.
The protection zones around the nests concern the 
following species: Osprey Pandion haliaetus, White-
tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, Golden Eagle Aquila 
chrysaetos, Greater Spotted Eagle A. clanga, Lesser 
Spotted Eagle A. pomarina, Short-toed Eagle Circaetus 
gallicus, Booted Eagle A. pennata, Red Kite Milvus 
milvus, Black Kite M. migrans, Peregrine Falcon F. 
peregrinus, Saker Falcon, Eagle Owl Bubo bubo and, 
A preliminary national overview of monitoring for raptors in Poland
Predhodni nacionalni pregled monitoringa populacij ptic roparic na Poljskem
Janusz Sielicki1 & Tadeusz Mizera2
1 Society for Wild Animals “Falcon”, Osiedlowa 1, PL–87-100 Włocławek, Poland, e–mail: j.peregrinus@gmail.com
2 Eagle Conservation Committee, Wojska Polskiego 71c, PL–60-625 Poznań, Poland, e–mail tmizera@up.poznan.pl
The State Bird Monitoring programme in Poland covers most breeding 
species of birds of prey and owls. As part of the bigger State Environment 
Monitoring System, it is engaged in 16 different projects, aimed at individual 
species or groups of species, including raptors. State Bird Monitoring is 
conducted by three organisations, the Eagle Conservation Committee (KOO), 
Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP) and Owls Protection 
Society, coordinated by the Institute and Museum of Zoology of the Polish 
Academy of Sciences on request by the General Inspectorate of Environmental 
Protection (GIOŚ). Two monitoring models are used, one based on sampling 
of populations (of widespread and common species), while the other covers 
a complete (or near complete) census of rare species. The data are publicly 
available in Polish. Apart from the State Bird Monitoring, there are numerous 
professional organisations, NGO’s and individuals engaged in conservation 
and study of birds of prey, although none of them within the framework of 
a true monitoring system. Apart from the protection guaranteed by Polish 
law, nests of rarest species, including birds of prey, are protected by special 
protection zones excluded from forest management. Currently, there are ca. 
2,900 zones covering ca. 1,500 km2 in total.
Keywords: Poland, state monitoring, birds of prey, owls, population studies, 
protection zones
Ključne besede: Poljska, državni monitoring, ujede, sove, populacijske 
raziskave, zaščitne cone
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J. Sielicki & T. Mizera: A preliminary national overview of monitoring for raptors in Poland
since 2011, Pygmy Owl Glaucidium passerinum and 
Tengmalm’s Owl Aegolius funereus (only within 50 m 
around their nests). The law has been slightly changed 
recently, reducing the radius of the zone to 100 m (ca. 
3.1 ha) year-round for three species (Lesser Spotted 
Eagle, Black and Red Kite); in the breeding season, 
the protection zone radius has remained unchanged.
Currently, there are ca. 2,900 protection zones 
covering ca. 1,500 km2 in total. It is worth emphasizing 
that the total size of established protection zones is 
greater than the forest area of all 23 National Parks 
in Poland. It is estimated that ca. 60% of all nests of 
targeted birds of prey are already situated in protection 
zones (Mizera 2006).
2. Main players in monitoring activities
The coordinating unit of the State Bird Monitoring 
programme in Poland is the Institute and Museum of 
Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which is 
also responsible for ornithological ringing programme 
in Poland. Many universities and institutes employ 
ornithologists, some of them to work on birds of prey 
projects. Also, there are several ornithological and 
environmental NGOs in Poland, which are active 
in the area of population studies and monitoring of 
birds of prey. The organizations particularly interested 
in this work are the Eagle Conservation Committee 
(Komitet Ochrony Orłów – KOO; www.koo.org.
pl), Falcon Society (Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Dzikich 
Zwierząt Sokół; www.peregrinus.pl), Polish Society 
for the Protection of Birds (OTOP, Polish Birdlife 
partner; http://www.otop.org.pl), Owls Protection 
Society (Stowarzyszenie Ochrony Sów; http://sowy.
sos.pl) and PTOP (Polskie Towarzystwo Ochrony 
Ptaków; http://www.ptop.org.pl), as well as many 
regional organisations, some of which specialise in 
certain bird species.
Among the NGOs involved in the protection of 
birds of prey, the KOO is probably the most influential 
one. With ca. 500 members and volunteers, it was 
established in 1981 and is the oldest NGO in Poland. 
Searching for nests, setting borders of the occupied 
protection zones are activities entrusted to foresters 
and/or members of the KOO. Every year, 1,000–2,000 
nests are censused by both professionals and amateurs, 
with 20 most active members of KOO controlling 
about 1,000 nests annually. Each nest is controlled 
twice a season, which allows determining the numbers 
of breeding pairs, breeding success and the number of 
nestlings reared. The results of these inventories are 
published in special reports in Newsletter of the Eagle 
Conservation Committee (Biuletyn Komitet Ochrony 
Orłów). 18 reports were published in the 1982–2012 
period (http://www.koo.org.pl/promocja-i-edukacja/
biuletyn-koo).
The State Bird Monitoring is financed by the 
Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection 
(GIOŚ), which is also the main data user. The key 
findings are published in a database and summarised 
in reports, all of which are publicly available on the 
webpage in Polish language, where  basic information 
on individual programmes is also provided (http://
monitoringptakow.gios.gov.pl). An English version of 
the website is now in preparation and will be ready in 
the course of 2013.
3. National coverage, key species
3.1. State monitoring programme
The State Bird Monitoring programme in Poland is 
engaged in 16 different projects concerning breeding 
species, with each project having its own network and 
coordinator as well as its own scheme. Monitoring 
schemes for birds of prey are conducted by the 
KOO, for owls by the Owls Protection Society, and 
monitoring of common breeding birds by the OTOP. 
More common and widespread species are monitored 
on a basis of sampling plots that are controlled a few 
times a year, while rare species are monitored through 
a country-wide census of all or most known breeding 
territories (Table 1). All monitoring schemes focus 
on population data – numbers, range and, for some 
species, reproduction rate as well. Presented here is the 
situation as existing in 2011.
A nationwide programme to monitor 11 
widespread species of birds of prey was launched in 
2007 under the Monitoring of Birds of Prey (MPD) 
scheme. Therein, birds of prey are counted on forty 
10 × 10 km sampling plots (Figure 1). These plots were 
selected during stratified random sampling, to ensure 
that field effort was maximized in areas with most 
birds. In addition, this approach allows estimating 
the population sizes of raptors in the whole country 
(Cenian 2009, Neubauer et al. 2011). In short, four 
surveys per year are performed on each sampling 
plot, and due to the different breeding phenology 
of birds these take place between 20 March and 20 
July. At each plot, nine fixed observation points were 
selected. Data on observations, interpretations and 
ways of recording are maximally standardized. At 
each point, all the birds are counted for 30 min 
(for more methodological details, see http://
monitoringptakow.gios.gov.pl).
The commonest species is the Buzzard Buteo buteo 
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Acrocephalus 33 (154/155): 255−260, 2012
Table 1: Overview of main monitoring projects for birds of prey and owls in Poland
Tabela 1: Pregled najpomembnej{ih projektov monitoringa ujed in sov na Poljskem
Project title/ 
Naziv projekta
Financed by/ 
Plačnik Area / Območje
Raptor species 
included/  
Vključene ptice 
roparice
Duration (start 
year) / Trajanje 
projekta  
(začetno leto)
Beneficiary/ 
Koristnik 
sredstev
Monitoring of  
Birds of Prey  
(MPD)
State Inspection 
of Environment 
(GIOŚ)
40–42 
sampling plots  
(10 × 10 km)
P. apivorus
M. migrans
M. milvus
H. albicilla
C. aeruginosus
C. pygargus
A. gentilis
B. buteo
A. pomarina
F. tinnunculus
F. subbuteo
2007– Eagle 
Conservation 
Committee 
(KOO)
Bird Monitoring 
Scheme: Osprey 
(MRY)
State Inspection 
of Environment 
(GIOŚ)
Entire territory  
of Poland
P. haliaetus 2007– Eagle 
Conservation 
Committee 
(KOO)
Bird Monitoring 
Scheme: Golden 
Eagle (MOP)
State Inspection 
of Environment 
(GIOŚ)
Entire territory  
of Poland
A. chrysaetos 2007– Eagle 
Conservation 
Committee
(KOO)
Bird Monitoring 
Scheme: Greater 
Spotted Eagle 
(MOG)
State Inspection 
of Environment 
(GIOŚ)
Entire territory  
of Poland
A. clanga 2007– Eagle 
Conservation 
Committee
(KOO)
Common Breeding 
Bird Monitoring 
(MPPL)
State Inspection 
of Environment 
(GIOŚ)
500–645  
sampling plots  
(1 × 1 km)
A. gentilis
A. nisus
B. buteo
2000– OTOP (Polish 
Birdlife partner)
Monitoring of 
Flagship Birds 
(MFGP)
State Inspection 
of Environment 
(GIOŚ)
40–48  
sampling plots 
(10 × 10 km)
C. aeruginosus 2007– OTOP (Polish 
Birdlife partner)
Monitoring of 
Breeding Forest  
Owls (MLSL)
State Inspection 
of Environment 
(GIOŚ)
35–39  
sampling plots 
(10 × 10 km)
B. bubo
G. passerinum
S. aluco
S. uralensis
A. otus
A. funereus
2010– Owls Protection 
Society
Peregrine Falcon 
Monitoring 
Falcon Society Entire territory  
of Poland
F. peregrinus 1998– Falcon Society
Migratory birds  
at Baltic Sea
Fund for 
Environmental 
Protection 
and Water 
Management  
in Gdansk
Vistula Spit  
(Baltic Sea)
all migratory 
species
2007– Drapolicz – 
Association of 
Migratory Birds 
Observers
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J. Sielicki & T. Mizera: A preliminary national overview of monitoring for raptors in Poland
– recorded on 39 out of 40 plots. The size of breeding 
population is estimated at 52,000–63,000 pairs. The 
least frequently recorded species is the Black Kite, 
registered at nine plots only; this low frequency causes 
population estimate to have low precision (450–1,300 
pairs). Significantly higher numbers compared to 
some recently published estimates (Tomiałojć & 
Stawarczyk 2003, BirdLife International 2004) 
concern the White-tailed (1,250–1,700 pairs) and 
Lesser Spotted Eagles (2,300–3,300 pairs) (Neubauer 
et al. 2011).
The three rare species have their own monitoring 
schemes – Osprey (MRY), Greater Spotted Eagle 
(MOG) and Golden Eagle (MOP). These species are 
censused within their entire range with all known 
breeding territories controlled annually (Figure 2).
The Greater Spotted Eagle’s population seems to 
be stable at 22–23 pairs (including mixed pairs with 
Lesser Spotted Eagle; Maciorowski & Mizera 2010). 
The recent situation as far as the Osprey is concerned is 
critical: in 2009, only 24–29 nesting pairs were found 
(Neubauer et al. 2011) in contrast to 53 pairs and 
estimated population of 70–75 pairs in the 1990s and 
2000 (Adamski et al. 1999, BirdLife International 
2004, Mizera 2009) as shown on Figure 3.
A special project aimed at few easily identifiable 
species is the Monitoring of Flagship Birds (MFGP), 
which includes only one bird of prey species, the 
Marsh Harrier.
The last project dealing with birds of prey is the 
nationwide Common Breeding Bird Monitoring (MPPL; 
http://www.mppl.pl). Here, on the sampling plots of 
1 × 1 km in size, all recorded bird species are counted. 
Such work was performed on 562 plots throughout 
the country in 2009 (random stratified sampling 
approach was used to ensure the representativeness of 
results). Field work has been carried out since 2000; 
each season, two surveys are performed along fixed two 
1 km long routes. The project involved 290 volunteer 
ornithologists in the years 2008–2009 (Neubauer 
et al. 2011). Regarding birds of prey, the Common 
Breeding Bird Monitoring results include population 
indices and trends of several species, e.g. Goshawk, 
Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, etc. 
(Chylarecki & Jawińska 2007, Neubauer et al. 
2011).
In 2010, the project Monitoring of Breeding Forest 
Owls (MLSL) that covers six species was launched. 
Included here are: Tawny Owl Strix aluco, Ural Owl S. 
uralensis, Long-eared Owl Asio otus, Tengmalm’s Owl, 
Pygmy Owl and Eagle Owl. Currently, there are 35–
37 sampling plots, each 10 × 10 km in size. The most 
widespread and most numerous species are the Tawny 
Owl, Tengmalm’s Owl and Pygmy Owl.
3.2. Other programmes
Many ornithologists and regional or local organizations 
conduct various state-independent population studies 
of raptors.
Monitoring of Peregrine Falcon population has 
not been included in the national scheme as yet, but 
has been conducted by the Falcon Society since first 
confirmed breeding of this species in Poland in 1998 
(Sielicki & Sielicki 2009).
Worth mentioning are the activities carried out by 
Drapolicz – Association of Migratory Birds Observers 
that include the ongoing autumn counts of migratory 
birds of prey (among other birds), which started in 
2007, and the study of migration dynamics of owls, 
mainly the Long-eared and Short-eared A. flammeus 
Owls (initiated in 2011) at Vistula Spit in the Baltic 
Sea (Bela et al. 2012; http://www.drapolicz.org.pl/
index.php?lang=en).
Some of these projects cover only small areas and 
are not conducted on regular basis due to dependence 
Figure 1: Distribution of sampling plots of the Monitoring 
of Birds of Prey (MPD) scheme in Poland – the same model, 
based on sampling plots is used in Common Breeding Bird 
Monitoring (MPPL), Monitoring of Flagship Birds (MFGP) and 
Monitoring of Breeding Forest Owls (MLSL); after neuBauer et 
al. (2011)
Slika 1: Razporeditev vzor~nih ploskev v okviru projekta 
Monitoring ujed (MPD) na Poljskem – enak model, 
temelje~ na vzor~nih ploskvah, se uporablja v okviru 
projektov Monitoring pogostih vrst ptic (MPPL), Monitoring 
karizmati~nih ptic (MFGP) in Monitoring gnezde~ih gozdnih 
sov (MLSL); po neuBauer et al. (2011)
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Acrocephalus 33 (154/155): 255−260, 2012
on availability of observers and their professionalism 
(especially as far as migrant counts at the sea are 
concerned). Also, some caution is needed in the 
interpretation of their results.
4. Strengths and weaknesses
The current monitoring system is rather 
comprehensive and is still developing. The network 
of 400–500 researchers has officially been included 
into the project plus few more hundreds of volunteers. 
The instructions as how to conduct fieldwork for 
each programme are available on the website of each 
monitoring programmes. Two guides presenting the 
methodology for monitoring species or their groups 
(Chylarecki et al. 2009 for breeding birds) are 
available in Polish. These materials are easily adapted 
for other countries, if there is such a need. Some 
species currently not included (especially Peregrine 
Falcon) should be added to the State Bird Monitoring 
in the following years.
The quality of birds of prey monitoring  depends 
on the availability of specialists and volunteers 
interested in taking part. Networking, international 
exchange programmes, books and instructions 
should help. Polish monitoring scheme is very well 
organised and effective and could be used as model 
for other countries. Only well-designed monitoring 
programmes will produce robust results, which can 
then represent a base for generalizations (trends, 
population sizes) across wider areas. Monitoring of 
birds of prey needs to consider the variable breeding 
biology of species and specificity of areas where 
performed.
5. Povzetek
Državni monitoring ptic na Poljskem vključuje večino 
gnezdečih vrst ujed in sov. Kot del večjega Državnega 
sistema za monitoring okolja se posveča šestnajstim 
različnim projektom, namenjenim preučevanju 
posameznih vrst ali skupinam vrst, vključno s pticami 
roparicami. Za monitoring ptic so zadolžene tri 
organizacije, in sicer Komite za varstvo orlov (KOO), 
Poljsko društvo za varstvo ptic (OTOP) in Društvo za 
zaščito sov, katerih delo koordinira Inštitut za zoologijo 
in muzej Poljske akademije znanosti na zahtevo 
Generalnega inšpektorata za varstvo okolja. V rabi 
sta dva modela monitoringa: prvi sloni na vzorčenju 
populacij (splošno razširjenih in pogostih vrst), drugi 
pa na popolnem (ali skoraj popolnem) štetju redkih 
vrst. Podatki so na voljo javnosti v poljskem jeziku. 
Poleg Državnega monitoringa ptic se z varstvom 
Figure 2: Distribution of sampling plots for monitoring of 
Osprey Pandion haliaetus (MRY) in Poland – the same model 
based on census study plots aimed to cover the species’ 
entire range is used for Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos 
(MOP) and Greater Spotted Eagle A. clanga (MOG); after 
neuBauer et al. (2011)
Slika 2: Razporeditev vzor~nih ploskev za monitoring ribjega 
orla Pandion haliaetus (MRY) na Poljskem – enak model, ki 
temelji na preu~evanju celotnega areala vrste s {tetjem na 
dolo~enih ploskvah, se uporablja za planinskega orla Aquila 
chrysaetos (MOP) in velikega klinka~a A. clanga (MOG); po 
neuBauer et al. (2011)
Figure 3: Population development of Osprey Pandion 
haliaetus in Poland in 1800–2012; after mizera & SzymKieWicz 
(1996) and mizera (2009), supplemented (white columns – 
estimate, black columns – census data)
Slika 3: Razvoj populacije ribjega orla Pandion haliaetus 
na Poljskem v obdobju 1800–2012; po mizera & SzymKieWicz 
(1996) in mizera (2009), dopolnjeno (beli stolpci – ocena, ~rni 
stolpci – podatki, pridobljeni s {tetjem)
260
J. Sielicki & T. Mizera: A preliminary national overview of monitoring for raptors in Poland
in preučevanjem ptic ukvarjajo še mnoge poklicne 
organizacije, nevladne agencije in posamezniki, pa 
čeprav ne v okviru pravega sistema monitoringa. 
Poleg zaščite, ki jo zagotavlja poljski zakon, so gnezda 
najredkejših vrst, vključno s pticami roparicami, 
zavarovana s posebnimi zaščitnimi conami, izvzetimi 
iz gozdnogospodarskih območij. Trenutno obstaja 
2.900 takšnih con, ki skupaj pokrivajo 1,500 km2 
ozemlja.
6. References
Adamski, A., Lontkowski, J., Maciorowski, G., Mizera, 
T., Rodziewicz, M., Stawarczyk, T. & Wacławek, 
K. (1999): [Distribution and numbers of rare birds of 
prey in Poland at the end of the 20th century.] – Notatki 
Ornitologiczne 40 (1/2): 1–22. (in Polish)
Bela, G., Janczyszyn, A. & Kośmicki, A. (2012): 
[Migration of Falconiformes, Columbiformes and 
Corvidae on the Vistula Spit in autumn 2009.] – Ptaki 
Pomorza 3: 135–138. (in Polish, English summary)
BirdLife International (2004): Birds in Europe: 
population estimates, trends and conservation status. 
BirdLife Conservation Series No. 12. – BirdLife 
International, Cambridge.
Cenian, Z. (2009): [National monitoring of birds of 
prey – evaluation methodology of the population and 
distribution in large sample areas.] – Studia i materiały 
Centrum Edukacji Przyrodniczo-Leśnej 11, 3 (22): 10–
21. (in Polish, English summary)
Chylarecki, P. & Jawińska, D. (2007): [Monitoring of 
common breeding birds. Report for 2005–2006.] – 
OTOP, Warszawa. (in Polish, English summary)
Chylarecki, P., Sikora, A. & Cenian, Z. (2009): 
[Monitoring of breeding birds. Methodological manual 
for protected species from the Birds Directive.] – GIOŚ, 
Warszawa. (in Polish)
Maciorowski, G. & Mizera, T. (2010): [Research and 
conservation of Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga in 
Poland – Project LIFE+.] – Studia i materiały Centrum 
Edukacji Przyrodniczo-Leśnej 12, 2 (25): 181–190. (in 
Polish, English summary)
Mizera, T. (2006): [Twenty years of the zonal protection 
in Poland.] – Studia i Materiały Centrum Edukacji 
Przyrodniczo-Leśnej 8, 2 (12): 29–53. (in Polish, English 
summary)
Mizera, T. (2009): [The Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, situation 
in Poland at the start of the 21st century.] – Studia i 
materiały Centrum Edukacji Przyrodniczo-Leśnej 11, 3 
(12): 45–55. (in Polish, English summary)
Mizera, T. & Szymkiewicz, M. (1996): The present status 
of the Osprey Pandion haliaetus in Poland. pp. 23–33 
In: Meyburg, B.U. & Chancellor, R.D. (eds.): Eagle 
Studies. – WWGBP, Berlin.
Neubauer, G., Sikora, A., Chodkiewicz, T., Cenian, Z., 
Chylarecki, P., Archita, B., Betleja, J., Rohde, Z., 
Wieloch, M., Woźniak, B., Zieliński, P. & Zielińska, 
M. (2011): [Monitoring of Polish breeding birds in 
2008–2009.] – Biuletyn Monitoringu Przyrody 8 (1): 
1–40. (in Polish, English summary)
Sielicki, S. & Sielicki, J. (2009): Restoration of Peregrine 
Falcon in Poland 1989–2007. pp. 699–722 In: Sielicki, 
J. & Mizera, T. (eds.): Peregrine Falcon Populations 
– status and perspectives in the 21st Century. – Turul 
Publishing & Poznań University of Life Sciences Press, 
Warsaw - Poznań.
Tomiałojć, L. & Stawarczyk, T. (2003): [The avifauna of 
Poland. Distribution, numbers and trends.] – PTTP 
“pro Natura”, Wrocław. (in Polish, English summary)
Arrived / Prispelo: 27. 3. 2013
Accepted / Sprejeto: 1. 7. 2013