The brant geese’s migration to the Vistula is about to begin!
As we do every year, we are making preparations to work with volunteers to monitor and protect the families of common mergansers migrating from Łazienki Park to the River Vistula.
This year, 30 volunteers have joined ZZW staff in protecting and monitoring the migration routes of these remarkable waterbirds. The Royal Łazienki Museum is a partner in the initiative.
The smew is the only species of grebe that breeds in Poland. The females lay their eggs in tree hollows, and those in Warsaw have taken a particular liking to the hollows in the old trees of the Royal Łazienki Park. Once the chicks have hatched, the mother wants to reach the Vistula as quickly as possible. The water route – the Łazienki ponds, the Piaseczyński Canal and Czerniakowski Port – is fraught with danger. The greatest of these is the traffic speeding along the six lanes of Czerniakowska Street.
Patrols as part of our Green Volunteer Scheme will begin on 1 April and continue until the end of May – they will take place three times a day, and we have planned a total of no fewer than 190 walks. The volunteers’ key task is to keep a watchful eye out and quickly inform our staff of the birds’ arrival, which allows us to secure their migration route appropriately. This year, we will also be monitoring the area of Fosa Park and the Citadel Slopes, from where – as previous experience suggests – common mergansers with their young may also set off towards the Vistula.
“The Common Merganser Campaign” – a Warsaw tradition
Our trained staff, who are authorised to direct traffic, oversee the entire operation and can count on the support of the City Guard and the Police if necessary. Volunteers support the services’ efforts by helping to organise pedestrian traffic and creating safe conditions for the migrating birds.
The ZZW campaign is now a Warsaw tradition. To date, the Green Volunteer Scheme has successfully guided almost 150 young common mergansers to the Vistula. Through this campaign, among others, we aim to raise greater awareness among residents that the city is a shared space for people and nature.
This year, the campaign’s partner is the Royal Łazienki Museum, which supports us in our efforts to protect common mergansers and organises educational events to raise awareness of their habits. This is an opportunity to get to know these extraordinary birds, which were a rarity in Warsaw just a dozen or so years ago, but have now become a permanent feature of the city’s landscape.
In 2025, we created the Tufted Duck Corner at Czerniakowski Port. It is a place dedicated to nature education and helps protect the route taken by tufted duck families before they take the plunge into the deep waters of Czerniakowski Port in the Vistula District. The Corner was created as part of a participatory budgeting project.
What should you do if you see a smew with its young?
If you see a common shelduck with its young:
- stop and do not approach them (keep a distance of approx. 5 m),
- keep dogs on a lead,
- stay calm and quiet,
- do not try to chase the female and her young back into the park,
- do not chase them away from the road, as this is the route they intend to take to reach the Vistula,
- do not feed the common mergansers,
- try to stop any passers-by, joggers, cyclists or skateboarders who are there at the time.
Important telephone numbers:
- Warsaw City Greenery Authority – 48 22 277 42 00
- City Guard – 986
- Polish Police – 997
Information about events dedicated to the common merganser at the Royal Łazienki Museum (in collaboration with ZZW) can be found on the Museum’s website [link opens in a new tab].
