We at Ficedula had a dream!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone living in the Canton of Ticino could identify at least 20 species of birds and just as many songs!

In the more than 40 years since the Association for the Study and Conservation of Birds in Italian-speaking Switzerland was founded, a significant number of birdwatchers and ornithologists have been trained, but the association has not yet managed to make an impact on the general public because “it’s hard to identify birds.” They’re all swallows, pigeons, sparrows, crows, and cormorants… Even just a few decades ago, at least in rural areas, people had this knowledge, but it has been lost, particularly in urban areas.

So far, despite Ficedula’s strong commitment to citizen science, only a small portion of Ticino’s residents can identify the most common species.

Ficedula hopes to reverse this trend, particularly through the role of schools and their forward-thinking environmental education programs.

First and foremost, teacher training—through courses designed specifically for them—is an essential step in advancing this process.

The opportunity to bring this idea to life has now arisen thanks to Ficedula’s collaboration with the Guarda-MI Association and the availability of a powerful digital tool, the Guarda-TI Web App, which Ficedula had adapted for the Ticino region from the original Guarda-MI, dedicated to the wildlife of Milan.

With this support, preparations are underway, among other things, for the Atlas of Birds of the Lombard Metropolis.

Guarda-TI is also available to everyone. It will also be useful to the many people who are just getting started in the world of ornithology, allowing them to learn a little more about the birds around them throughout the different seasons.

The observation reporting procedures allow users to learn step by step and have their observations verified.

A practical, color-coded guide helps users correctly identify species. Guarda-TI also includes software for identifying the songs of all species found in Switzerland. Sound ID Lab (BirdNET/Cornell University) is a tool to assist with song recognition; users must verify the results themselves. The song must still be submitted via Guarda-TI for certification (the BirdNet response must be added in the notes).

Reports can also be submitted by sending a photograph or a video recording, which is a mandatory requirement for non-experts. The data will be verified by a group of specialists.

The identification process will soon be supplemented by “artificial intelligence” = “machine learning.”

Ficedula plans to eventually expand Guarda-TI to include species from other taxonomic groups, starting with reptiles, dragonflies, and mammals.

The app can be found at this link. You can download the instructions at this link.

This tool allows users to identify about a hundred urban bird species and also includes software for identifying the songs of all species found in Switzerland. It can prove to be a very useful technical resource for educational activities and for anyone who is still new to ornithology.