Searching for a successor for the reddish tailtail (Cercotrichas galactodes), the chosen one “Bird of the Year 2022”. Online voting has started on the SEO/Birdife website.supporter of the campaign. The three finalists for ‘2023 Bird of the Year’ are the three species classified as ‘.Sensitive‘ in Spain: montagu’s harrier (circus gnome), common vulture (Nephron percnopterus) and Iberian bargain (Pterocles alchata). You can vote until January 8, 23:59.
communication and protection campaign’bird of the year‘ It was born in 1988 to draw attention to the delicate situation posed by some Spanish bird species. Page to vote: https://seo.org/2023-elige-ave/
There are 32 species so far chosen as ‘birds of the year’ due to declining populations or conservation threats. Another person will join this year. The three selected birds are listed in the ‘III Atlas of birds during the breeding season in Spain’, an important SEO/BirdLife publication to learn about the distribution, trends and populations of the 450 species detected in Spain in the spring.
With this action, SEO/BirdLife aims to focus on a species that needs special attention due to its poor conservation status. or because it symbolizes the urgency of preserving habitats, which includes demanding measures from governments and institutions to protect everyone’s natural heritage.
“More and more birds are under threat and there is more and more silence in our fields. We will continue to shout for them to ensure their protection, to ensure biodiversity in our fields and a healthy diet for humans,” says Executive Director Asunción Ruiz. From SEO /BirdLife These are the three finalists for the 2023 edition:
Montagu’s Harrier
Nominated for ‘Bird of the Year’ three years in a row. It is one of the birds of prey most linked to human activities. for it is closely tied to the large cultivated stretches of wheat and barley, where it likes to build its nests in the absence of large pastures.
In exchange for shelter in the crops, It provides great benefits for farmers as it destroys voles, mice, grasshoppers and herbivorous birds.with their usual prey.
Agricultural intensification is one of the main threats The species is particularly faced with the destruction of nests and chicks by combines.
This pesticide use As the number of prey decreases, it also affects their diet. for all this Montagu’s harrier populations are in a very significant decline and is considered a ‘Vulnerable’ species in Spain.
“With this strain, it will be possible to raise awareness among the community, politicians and farmers to seek common solutions to prevent the destruction of nests during the harvest season and to sustain and support agricultural exploitation systems that are more respectful of biodiversity,” emphasizes SEO/BirdLife.
common vulture
It is the smallest of the Iberian vultures. His appearance is evident because of his off-white plumage and, above all, his bare and colorful face, in addition to the striking ruffles of ragged and somewhat untidy feathers on his head and neck, which give him a peculiar aura. a striking yellow.
The indiscriminate use of poison is the greatest danger to be faced. Egyptian vulture classified as ‘Sensitive‘ in the Red Book of Birds in Spain.
He is also greatly affected.” unintentional poisoning from farm animalsYeah; general reduction in food availability; the discomfort in the reproductive areas or anthropogenic persecution; death, habitat loss and changes in wintering areas or transition areas; the exposure to electricity and collisions with energy infrastructures and inaction or inefficiency of public administrations“, emphasizes NGO.
often for a long time in the most diverse corners of Spanish territory, The Egyptian vulture has experienced a severe population decline in recent years..
The social perception of the species is not very good, as it is a vulture. Again, vultures help clear field from disease and save millions of euros. They are an important link in the ecological balance of our fields.
Iberian bargain
It is a desert bird, but takes advantage of the vast expanses of traditional agricultural drylands in Spain. It is compact and stout and often offers colors that blend with the habitats it inhabits.
Your status is considered ‘SensitiveIn the “Red Book of Birds in Spain”, due to the large variation of the field, ” agricultural intensification, reducing borders and fallows, afforestation of agricultural lands and increasing olive groves and irrigation” highlights SEO/BirdLife.
It is also affected by urban development and linear infrastructures, photovoltaic and wind power development, illegal hunting and power lines.
The protection measures to be implemented according to the NGO “reorient existing agricultural policies towards agri-environmental programs It is dominated by reducing pesticide use and cattle load, diversifying the landscape, encouraging fallow and limiting irrigation”.
Helping to protect the Iberian sand chicken means not only sustaining their populations, but also helping all the species that live in Spanish fields and the human activities that occur there. There are many types of steppes that depend on the good condition of the agricultural environment..
Reddish tail, winner of 2022
Last year, the reddish-tailed frill was ‘Bird of the Year’, an ‘Endangered’ species, according to the ‘Red Book of Birds in Spain’. campaign has ended. land purchase, especially the vineyard areas in Doñana to contribute to the conservation of the species. The land acquisition was made possible by 341. private donations.
But in addition to that, SEO/BirdLife has this year promoted numerous dissemination, communication and conservation actions in favor of the red-tailed crow, whose phenology and conservation status has been announced, as well as actions needed to improve its habitat.
‘2023 Bird of the Year’ voting page: https://seo.org/2023-elige-ave/
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Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]