- Publication (DD-MM-YYYY)
- 1987
- Creator / Author
- Wetlands International
- Publisher
- Wetlands International
- Contributor
- Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Bird Count India, East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), BirdLife International, national coordinators across Asia-Pacific
- Language
- English
- Keywords
- waterbird census, wetlands, citizen science, flyway monitoring, migratory species
The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) is a regional citizen science programme and integral component of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC) coordinated by Wetlands International. Initiated in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent, the census has expanded to cover the entire East Asian-Australasian Flyway and a large part of the Central Asian Flyway, from Afghanistan eastwards to Japan, Southeast Asia, and Australasia. The programme monitors waterbird populations and wetland conditions annually during the non-breeding season, with recommended count dates covering two weeks and three weekends beginning on the first Saturday of January each year. To date, the Asian Waterbird Census has covered more than 6,100 sites across 27 countries and regions with the active participation of thousands of volunteers. The data collected supports the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in identifying and monitoring wetlands of international importance, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership Initiative (EAAFP), BirdLife International's Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) Programme, IUCN/BirdLife's Global Species Programme (Red List), and Wetlands International's Waterbird Population Estimates programme. In 2026, the programme celebrates AWC40 and IWC60, marking six decades of global waterbird monitoring. Access the International Waterbird Census data portal to explore species and country totals and contribute to wetland and waterbird conservation. |
