Once again, we celebrate World Bird Day during this first weekend of October, a date that aims to underline the importance of these species of great ecological value, which act as excellent indicators to assess the health of the planet and the conservation of biodiversity and that allow us to know the changes that occur in situations such as climate change.

Once again, we celebrate World Bird Day during this first weekend of October, a date that aims to underline the importance of these species of great ecological value, which act as excellent indicators to evaluate the health of the planet and the conservation of biodiversity and that allow us to know the changes that occur in situations such as climate change.

Since the first comprehensive assessment in 1988, analysis of the IUCN Red List shows that there has been a steady and continuous deterioration in the status of the world’s birds. This analysis indicates that highly threatened species continue to become extinct, while previously common and widespread species are in steep decline. In addition, according to the The Red List index of birds between 1988 and 2008 saw a deterioration over those 20 years, as 225 bird species moved to a higher threat category due to genuine changes in their conservation status, compared to only 32 species that were removed from the list.

The Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/BirdLife) states that currently 40% of bird species worldwide (3,967) have declining population trends, compared to 44% that are stable species (4,393). In addition, globally, 7% of birds are on the rise (653) and 8% are in a situation with unknown trends (823).

At the national level, according to data collected in the SEO/BirdLife Monitoring and Study of Common Birds in Spring (Sacre) programme, 37% of common bird species in Spain are in an unfavourable situation. This study has made it possible to consolidate previously unpublished information on the populations of common birds in spring, providing data on those species whose population evolution was not known until now, this being the only key factor in establishing their conservation status. Among the species that are in an unfavourable conservation situation are some as well-known as the partridge or the common swallow.

The publication of the first installment of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report also advanced new evidence on the anthropocentric origin of global warming and the need to take action in the face of the projection of a rise in surface temperature above 1.5 ºC or even 2 ºC. This perspective would pose a threat to this faunal group, as it could affect, for example, aspects such as behaviour, geographical distribution or even the risk of extinction.

Taking into account this context, the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge is working on different projects. The development of these initiatives allows us to promote different actions that make it possible to improve the state of conservation and protection of bird species in our country.  

Thus, within the framework of the Pleamar Programme, co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the The University of Girona is developing the project DESMARES II, an initiative that seeks to build bridges with the fishing sector in the Western Mediterranean, collecting concerns and generating synergies to achieve mutual benefit: reduce accidental catches and reduce the problems generated by marine fauna during fishing days. The project focuses especially on the  conservation of the shag, a species currently listed as vulnerable and bio-indicator of the fish stock .

Currently, the two subspecies of marsh bunting nesting in our territory are listed as Endangered in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species. For this reason, SEO/BirdLife is developing a project to improve the knowledge and conservation of the marsh bunting in Spain. The initiative will make it possible to have all the available knowledge about the species with the aim of improving its management capacities at the state and regional level, as well as adapting and incorporating new management criteria of the Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) of the Natura 2000 Network in the large wetlands in which this species is present.

Finally, Brinzal is carrying out a study for the conservation of nocturnal birds of prey with regressive population trends, such as the barn owl and the little owl. The initiative aims to optimize the efforts dedicated to the conservation of these species through the knowledge of the factors involved in their decline, relating physiological and reproductive parameters of pairs of both species with the habitats occupied. The study will allow obtaining a predictive model that will make it possible to increase the probability of survival and classify the areas as optimal, suboptimal or unfavorable for each species.