Distribution and numbers of wintering waterbirds in Sweden in 2015 and changes during the last fifty years

Coordinated midwinter counts of waterbirds have been undertaken on a European scale since January 1967, when the midwinter counts of the International Waterfowl Census (IWC) were started in a number of countries including Sweden (Atkinson-Willes 1969, Nilsson 1975, Gillisen et al. 2002; see Nilsson 2008 for more references). Before that, Sweden and some other countries had been running specific national programs for a number of years (AtkinsonWilles 1963, Owen et al. 1986, Nilsson 1968, 1976). It was, however, soon realized that international cooperation was needed and accordingly the IWC was initiated by Wetlands International. Some of the major aims of this project are to get population estimates and trends both on a regional and global scale and to map the distribution of the different species. The IWC also aims to provide background information for international agreements relating to management of wetland birds such as the Ramsaar convention and AEWA (African Eurasian Waterfowl Agreement). For general information about IWC and the international results of the Midwinter Counts, see www.wetlands.org. Distribution and numbers of wintering waterbirds in Sweden in 2015 and changes during the last fifty years