More and more young people are taking their cameras and binoculars with them and going out birdwatching. Figures from Sweden's national bird association Birdlife Sweden show that the number of young people joining as new members is increasing.
What we are seeing is that more youth groups are being formed, including at universities, says Birdlife Sweden's Secretary General Stina Rigbäck, and mentions Linnaeus University's bird club Starpatrullen.
Activities for young people are also increasing in ornithological associations, including in Stockholm, she adds.
Ringing a highlight
Thorn magpie, black-throated magpie, redshank and grey siskin.
These are just some of the birds that the dedicated observer, 17-year-old Maya Eriksson, has spotted while out birdwatching.
Her interest in birds grew after she started photography in 2023.
In addition to being on Birdlife Sweden's youth committee, Maya is also active in the Skåne Ornithological Society's (Skof) youth group, where she has a leading role. Among other things, she is involved in leading the annual ringing course. There, they capture wild birds and put a small ring around their legs so they can be identified later. This provides knowledge about their survival, nesting, migration routes, age, and more.
Popular excursions
Skof's youth group is growing. Currently there are around 90 members, many of whom meet regularly to go on excursions. The main common interest is birdwatching, but the organization has also broadened and carries out activities such as looking for toads or bats.
The excursions are led by high school teacher Ola Svensson, who works as a volunteer with youth activities. He sees a clear value in being so involved with young people.
Many people wonder how I manage to put in this much time, but it's so incredibly fun to be out with them. It's so rewarding to see them learn and see funny birds up close.
Ola is seeing increased interest. There are eight places on the ringing courses and they fill up immediately. A typical birdwatching excursion has between five and 15 participants.
There is a huge interest in these activities. They are also about getting out into nature, hanging out and having a barbecue.
Albert, 12: “Really nice excursion”
Maya also sees a clear upswing among young people. She has been on Birdlife Sweden's youth observer committee since the beginning of 2025 and has seen a significant increase in so-called youth observers.
That's around three times more than it was when I started.
Another dedicated birdwatcher and participant in Skof is 12-year-old Albert. He is fascinated by the birds' ability to make such long flights and is captivated by their many colours.
He tells of a favorite memory from an excursion that turned out to be an extraordinary experience.
We went out to a place outside Helsingborg to look for American black grouse. Then we went on and saw mandarin ducks and kingfishers.
"Some got to see the sea otter, which was difficult to see, but everyone got to see mandarin ducks and kingfishers. It was a really, really nice excursion," says Albert.
He really likes ringing, how you can look at the age of the birds and how they move.
You get to get so close to the birds and realize how much you can learn from them. It's super cool.
The connection with Ola and the group has been very important to Albert. He says he gets to meet other young people who have the same interests, which can be difficult to find otherwise.
Especially in such a narrow area. I hadn't met them because they live scattered all over Skåne.
Climate change central issue
For birdwatchers and nature lovers, issues related to the climate and the environment are important. A central part of the associations is working for bird protection and the protection of nature.
Albert always tries to act sustainably and recycle and spread knowledge to his peers. He feels that the issue is far too under-prioritised in school.
It is important that we take care of our nature. If we continue like this, we will soon have none left.
Maya Eriksson is concerned about how climate change is affecting the birds. It is not uncommon for them to arrive as early as February, unlike in the past when it was more like April-May. When it freezes again, there is a risk that they will not be able to find any food and thus not survive, which leads to a decline in populations.
Something needs to be done, it can't go on like it is now.
She is primarily passionate about making a difference for the birds. Together with Ola Svensson, she is in charge of Skof's magazine, which she develops to motivate others to get involved.
I do it to inspire others to maybe be able to help the birds in the future.
Sweden's national bird association Birdlife Sweden, formerly called the Swedish Ornithological Society (SOF), was formed in 1945 and is the Swedish partner in the global network Birdlife International.
The association is built on three pillars: bird protection, bird research and bird interest, and has 25 regional associations connected to it.
The number of young members of Birdlife Sweden is increasing. This is how the increase has looked over time:
2020: 149 members.
2021: 164.
2022: 178.
2023: 185.
2024: 286.
2025: 357.
2026: 411 registered members, but not all have yet paid the fee.
Footnote: Every year a number of "youth observers" drop out due to age because they are no longer considered young people. The total number of members in Birdlife Sweden was approximately 16,500 in 2020.
Source: Birdlife Sweden
