Butterfly Monitoring Austria

Many people in Austria feel that colorful butterflies are becoming increasingly rare. Unfortunately, this is also reflected in the European Grassland Butterfly Index, compiled by Butterfly Conservation Europe from datasets across the continent. Since 1990, typical grassland butterflies have declined by 36%.

Since butterfly populations naturally fluctuate from year to year, only long-term standardized monitoring can determine whether numbers are increasing or decreasing. To enable this, the initiative “Austrian Butterfly Conservation” (ABC) was established in Austria.

Where are butterflies counted?

In short: anywhere that interests you. You can count butterflies in your own garden or along a public walking path, for example. The key is to count only those butterflies flying within 5 meters in front of you or 2.5 meters to your left and right. If the observation area is large enough to walk at least 50 meters in one direction, you can even conduct a “transect survey,” which is the international gold standard.

This year, we are especially excited about observations in towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants!

When are butterflies counted?

The highest number of species and butterflies can typically be observed in July and August. If you enjoy counting, we would particularly appreciate additional observations at one- to two-week intervals. If a butterfly species is recorded at the same location three times in a year, the data can already be used to calculate the Grassland Butterfly Indicator!

Participate in four steps

1. Register at „Austrian BMS“
2. Install the ‘Butterfly Count’ app (available for iOS and Android)
3. Familiarise yourself with butterfly species (identification aids and tips at: Links & Downloads | Austrian Butterfly Conservation )
4. Observe butterflies in the garden or another location for 15 minutes in fine weather and enter them directly into the app (German or scientific name)

And don't worry, if you don't know the species, you can still enter the family 'white butterfly' or 'blue butterfly'. The more you go out, the more familiar you will become with your butterflies and you are sure to come across a surprise or two in the insect world.

Often it is necessary to catch the animals in order to identify them, as nature conservation laws vary from country to country. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We at ABC would be delighted if you would like to become part of the butterfly monitoring programme and hope you have fun observing and counting! If you have any questions or comments, please email us or visit our website.

• Butterfly identification guide Butterfly identification guide
• Documentation in the field Documentation in the field
• Identification workshop Identification workshop
• App for data collection App for data collection
• Excursion; (c) K. Zalneva Excursion; (c) K. Zalneva
• Hauhechel blue (the underside is important for identification) Hauhechel blue (the underside is important for identification)
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