Alderney Bird Observatory is a

bird observatory A bird observatory is a centre for the study of bird migration and bird populations. They are usually focused on local birds, but may also include interest in far-flung areas. Most bird observatories are small operations with a limited staff, man ...

on the island of Alderney, in the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

. It was set up in March 2016 with the logistical support of the

Alderney Wildlife Trust The Alderney Wildlife Trust is a trust based in Alderney, Channel Islands. The Trust works to preserve the island's biodiversity, to promote the conservation of Alderney's terrestrial and marine habitats, to encourage a sustainable Alderney, and ...

to study bird migration and the island's seabird colonies. In April 2019 it became 'Alderney Bird Observatory Ltd', a Channel Islands registered company and charity. A 2018 meeting of the Bird Observatories Council declared it the 20th accredited bird observatory in the British Isles. The observatory was featured on the BBC's

Countryfile ''Countryfile'' is a British television programme which airs weekly on BBC One and reports on rural, agricultural, and environmental issues in the United Kingdom. The programme is currently presented by John Craven, Adam Henson, Matt Baker ...

on 15 May 2016. In its first year the observatory recorded 180 species including five new to the island, showing the importance of Alderney as a ″stop-over″ for migrant birds. Thirteen thousand birds were ringed including 777

storm petrel Storm-petrel may refer to one of two bird families, both in the order Procellariiformes, once treated as the same family. The two families are: * Northern storm petrels (''Hydrobatidae'') are found in the Northern Hemisphere, although some speci ...

(''Hydrobates pelagicus'') and 500

gannet Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus ''Morus'' in the family Sulidae, closely related to boobies. Gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the ...

(''Morus bassanus'').

References

Alderney Bird observatories Organisations based in Alderney Organizations established in 2016 {{ornithology-stub