Birdwatchers flock to Georgia to see annual migration

Birdwatchers from all over the world have come to Georgia to enjoy the International Birdwatching Festival in western Adjara region.

World leading ornithology experts and birdwatching enthusiasts gathered in the region's capital Batumi to enjoy the area's diverse bird life and the unique chance to observe the migration of over 100,000 birds of prey in a single day.

Adjara is one of the world’s four largest bird migration corridors. The unique topography and climate of the Black Sea coastline near Batumi meant more than one million predator birds can be seen here on their seasonal travels.

Georgia is a popular birdwatching destination. Photo by Georgia's Agency of Protected Areas. 

Georgia has hosted the annual International Birdwacthing Festival since 2011. ‘Discover different Adjara’ was the slogan of the event.

"[The Festival] promotes and supports the development of birdwatching tourism in Adjara region, at the same time it helps local communities and creates a sustainable foundation for financial income and therefore delivers valuable results for the concept and idea of conservation of migratory birds of prey,” the event organisers said.

The Festival was organised by the Tourism Department of Adjara and Society for Nature Conservation (SABUKO).

Georgia is a popular birdwatching destination. Photo by Georgia's Agency of Protected Areas. 

The three-day festival opened today and will run until September 27.

The organisers noticed growing attendance numbers on previous years, noting birdwatching had grown in popularity in Georgia and all over the world.

One of the standout locations where birdwatchers can enjoy the sights included Shuamta Village where Georgia’s Tourism Department set up a special birdwatching platform. The village will host the final activity of the Festival where this year’s bird migration and the Festival results will be summed up tomorrow.