State authorities and autonomous communities in Spain are not meeting their obligations. The majority of threatened birds lack formal conservation plans, despite legal requirements for approvals. This concern is raised in the new issue of Birds and Nature, edited by SEO/BirdLife, which highlights that only 14 of 50 endangered species have an approved national strategy.
Only La Rioja, Andalusia and the Balearic Islands exceed half of their required plans, while Madrid and Navarra appear far from that benchmark. Among the 14 species with conservation plans, three are aquatic: the gray heron, the Moorish hawk, and the white-headed duck, with the brown pochard noted in the Life Teal Pardilla project review.
The remaining seven species fall under the threatened birds strategy tied to agricultural steppe habitats: the Ricoti bustard, the Eurasian bustard, Montagu’s harrier, the lesser kestrel, the Iberian sandpiper, the Ortega sandpiper and the little bustard. Several endemic threats also have a shared framework, including the Iberian imperial eagle. A joint plan exists with Portugal and the Balearic Islands for certain species, while the osprey and the capercaillie are mentioned as well. In the case of the latter, two plans existed for two towns in the Cantabrian range and the Pyrenees, but those have since been merged.
Common Egyptian vulture. EFE / Beauty
“There is no clear, published criterion for prioritizing species when drafting these state strategies,” warns SEO/BirdLife. Species with significant international responsibilities, such as the Egyptian Vulture, the black vulture, and Audouin’s gull, currently lack conservation plans.
More violations
These gaps extend beyond outright omissions; some autonomous regions fail to include plans for endemic species. For instance, the Canary Islands, required to pursue conservation or recovery plans for two dozen taxa—many endemic to Macaronesian habitats—have taken responsibility for only two: the Guirre (Canary subspecies of the Egyptian vulture) and the Gran Canaria finch.
Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura, each expected to manage plans for the largest numbers of taxa (64, 61 and 53 respectively), are tied to the Canary Islands by a reputation of poor accountability, with only about eight percent of tasks completed, according to SEO/BirdLife.
But they are not the bottom. Cantabria and Galicia report only 7% of approved plans, despite having fewer threatened species, numbering 14 and 30 respectively. Navarra trails, with 2 of 39 approved conservation plans under its jurisdiction. In the queue, Madrid and Gipuzkoa, which have competence in this area, have not confirmed any plans.
On the positive side, the autonomous community that has fulfilled its duties most effectively so far is La Rioja, with about 73% of species covered. Yet, as one of the smallest regions, it also hosts fewer species, and most of the coverage is through collective plans.
La Rioja, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, Asturias, and the Valencian Community lead with notable percentages of approved plans: about 62%, 59%, 53%, and 42% respectively. Other regions fall well below this level.
Bird flu
“There is a strong effort from organizations like SEO/BirdLife to get documents approved and made accessible. Instruments developed with input from technicians and managers are scrutinized by civil society and guide the directives and duties of administrations in protecting areas of greatest importance to the species,” the article states.
The issue also contains a report on the work of thousands of volunteers who drive SEO/BirdLife’s outreach. These volunteers plant trees, conduct censuses, clean rivers, operate drones, install nesting boxes, raise awareness, monitor power lines, and more. The NGO emphasizes that activities are expanding across the region with ongoing diversification.
Balearic shearwater with geolocator. Pep Arcos / SEO/BirdLife
The magazine also features a section titled With the Owl’s Ear, offering rich birdwatching experiences through ornithophonies and soundscapes accessible via QR links. It also showcases winning photographs from the FotoAves competition and the Identity Book, including thrushes, blackbirds, and rock doves.
The issue’s editorial, Social Blindness, delivers a poetic sense of concern for theBird of the Year 2024, expressing sadness about society’s blindness in recognizing birds and their habitats.
The magazine also sheds light on the current bird flu situation, noting its global spread and the toll on seabirds. It includes ongoing research, commemorating decades of activism and commitment to renewable energy and environmental stewardship.
Birds and Nature Magazine: citations available in the public report where attribution is provided (SEO/BirdLife, 2024).