On World Bird Day, celebrated on October 2, the Biodiversity Foundation has recalled that these species are vital for the balance of ecosystems.

He also highlighted that, for example, three-quarters of the world’s bustard population and half of the planet’s little bustards are found in Spain. The Iberian imperial eagle or the Cantabrian capercaillie cannot be seen anywhere else in the world, and another 13 species are of priority conservation and, in many cases, are threatened with extinction: five of them (four endemic) are found in the Canary Islands.

So far, a total of 580 different species of birds have been counted in Spain, of which 363 would be common (those whose presence is more or less regular, either during the breeding season, migratory passages or wintering, either throughout the year) and the rest, occasional.

Of these, a quarter are threatened or in danger of extinction according to the Red Book of Birds published by SEO/BirdLife in 2004, which represents almost half (45%) of all species in our country.

The destruction and loss of habitat is the greatest threat to birds, although there are other risk factors such as human disturbance (including leisure activities, uncontrolled hiking or motorized traffic on roads); changes in the agricultural environment (intensive crops or abandoned fields); or introduced species, which compete with and prey on non-native species. Other threats are caused by illegal hunting; electrocution and collision with power lines and wind turbines and the great drama of the illegal use of poison.

KNOWING TO CONSERVE

One of the main objectives of the Biodiversity Foundation is the conservation of the important biological wealth of the Spanish territory. And it pays special attention to those species that are in a situation of danger, such as the Iberian imperial eagle, the Cantabrian capercaillie, the bearded vulture or the Egyptian vulture.

In this sense, the Foundation has been carrying out various projects that have birds as protagonists, including the Program of urgent actions for the conservation of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus cantabricus) and its habitat in the Cantabrian Mountains; the preservation of the Iberian imperial eagle; the awareness campaign that revolves around the website “The Egyptian vulture’s journey”; and the participatory development of recovery plans for the bearded vulture in the Cantabrian Mountains, among others.

PARTICIPATION AS A FUNDAMENTAL PIECE

It is also necessary to highlight the LIFE + project “Actions for the fight against the illegal use of poison” coordinated by SEO/BirdLife and supported by the Biodiversity Foundation to complement state and regional policies to fight poison, and which seeks to eradicate the use of poisoned baits for predator control, which critically affects protected and threatened species.

In addition, the Foundation develops various projects for the conservation of the Lesser Grey Shrike, participates in captive breeding actions for the red kite, has collaborated in the construction of supplementary feeding points for large ghouls, in projects for the better management of hunting, the biological control of the peasant vole and the rehabilitation of wild fauna and others related to the red partridge.

Finally, he also participates in the curious and interesting initiative of the MIGRES Foundation, for the study of the nocturnal migration of birds in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands by observing the lunar disk.

The project is based on the technique known as “moonwatching” and works through a network of volunteers who observe the moon during the full moons, in the periods of migratory passage in spring (February to May) and autumn (July to November). From this information, it is possible to trace approximate nocturnal migratory routes and quantify the magnitude of birds in transit.