October 2025 — The International Autumn Goose Survey in Kazakhstan has successfully concluded, delivering one of the most comprehensive and encouraging migration assessments in recent years. Across three survey teams and dozens of key wetlands in northern Kazakhstan, experts recorded more than 1.6 million geese, including significant numbers of the globally threatened Red-breasted Goose and Lesser White-fronted Goose, both classified on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The survey was carried out by the ACBK – Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan and Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, with support from the Whitley Fund for Nature and BirdLife International through Champions of the Flyway campaign. Its primary goal was to update current population estimates for these two highly vulnerable species and strengthen conservation efforts along the flyway.
Throughout early October, mixed field teams from ACBK and BirdLife Bulgaria covered the main staging wetlands across northern Kazakhstan, assessing both flock size and habitat conditions. Beyond counting geese, the teams also worked closely with local conservation authorities and hunting wardens, providing awareness materials and guidance aimed at reducing illegal killing.
This collaboration yielded important enforcement results. During the survey period, two poachers were apprehended and are now facing prison sentences for illegally shooting four Red-breasted Geese. While this demonstrates improved coordination with authorities, it also underlines the continuing need for long-term engagement with local hunting communities to ensure lasting reductions in illegal persecution.
This completed survey follows two previous large-scale autumn counts conducted under the framework of the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). Together, they form part of a broader, long-term effort to refine population estimates and track trends for Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted Geese across their flyway.
The 2025 fieldwork was further supported through BirdLife International’s Champions of the Flyway (COTF) fundraising initiative, contributing essential resources to secure these internationally important monitoring efforts.
With the survey now complete and data analysis underway, the results will not only inform global conservation assessments, but also help guide targeted actions across the species’ migration routes.
We thank all field experts, partners, and supporters who made this achievement possible.
