Jena (dpa/th) - Thuringian bird lovers can again expect the persistent song of the nightingale more often. The birds are among the few long-distance migrants that are increasing in numbers, said Klaus Lieder, spokesman for the State Committee for Ornithology in Nabu Thuringia, on Wednesday. On the occasion of the bird count at the "Hour of Garden Birds" on the second weekend in May, 154 nightingales were counted - more than twice as many as in the previous year.
According to the songs, the birds returned from their winter quarters in Africa a little earlier than last year. The counting action apparently fell into the phase of the greatest courtship activity.
According to Nabu, 2871 bird lovers throughout Thuringia took part in the "Hour of the Garden Birds". In 1681 gardens they counted 61 918 birds. The house sparrow was sighted most frequently (11,409), followed by the blackbird (5,197), starling (4,810) and great tit (4,434).
