Common Pain
Common bitterns (Botaurus stellaris) are listed as Critically Endangered in the Red Book of Birds of Spain and are also classified as endangered in the National Catalog of Endangered Species. The Iberian populations face serious threats from habitat mismanagement, which can drive them from wetlands such as the Guadalquivir marshes, humid La Mancha, and the Ebro Delta, especially during droughts.
Poor management of reed beds, uncontrolled burning, and livestock pressures on wetlands damage small populations of bitterns. Water pollution further worsens their situation. With their small numbers and camouflage in brown reeds where they nest, these birds are among the most challenging Iberian fauna to observe. They are easiest to detect on spring nights by their distinctive hollow moan that betrays their presence.
Today, Spain hosts a fragile population in Doñana, Tablas de Daimiel, and Aiguamolls de l Empordà, with large reed beds forming crucial habitats in these areas.
Mustached
Mustached warblers Panurus biarmicus are listed in the Red Book of Birds of Spain as vulnerable, yet they are not currently included in the National Catalog of Endangered Species. The main risks to this species arise from habitat changes, particularly shifts in water regimes. They avoid wetlands where the water table has dropped or reed beds have collapsed.
This creature bears the marks of climate change and farming practices that push water tables or inundation levels in wetlands in which it lives toward harmful extremes. It remains closely tied to dense, sizeable patches of marsh vegetation, especially reeds, where it often flies low among stems or even hangs upside down, making observation a challenge.
The Iberian Peninsula hosts most of its population in humid La Mancha and the Navarrese lagoons of the Ebro valley, with smaller groups near the Arrocampo reservoir in Cáceres.
Common Spoonbill
The common spoonbill Platalea leucorodia is categorized in the Red Book of Birds of Spain as vulnerable, with a more stable status during winter. Legally, it remains listed under certain protections. The most notable threats include overexploitation of groundwater at key breeding sites, where current water management practices fail to safeguard the groundwater that sustains the entire habitat. This leads to habitat degradation and reduced food availability during the breeding season, a concern raised by SEO/BirdLife.
Human disturbance also poses a major risk, especially during critical breeding periods and around colonies. Offshore wind farms are impacting European populations along migration corridors toward Africa, notably around the Cadiz Bay area.
The spoonbill is a large, unmistakable wader, truly a symbol of shallow wetlands. Its white plumage and habit of foraging along muddy shallows make it easy to recognize, though it tends to stay out of sight among dense reeds when nesting.
Spain hosts significant colonial wetlands along the western Andalusian coast and serves as a stopover for migratory routes that pass through Cantabrian-Atlantic coastal wetlands, such as the Guernica estuary in the Basque Country and the Santoña marshes in Cantabria. Observing these birds during migration reveals how their populations respond to changing water regimes and habitat availability. The current Spanish distribution highlights Doñana and other humid zones as vital refugia for this species.
Voting details for Bird of the Year 2024 are provided by SEO/BirdLife; the organization continues to encourage conservation actions for vulnerable species across Spain.
In the broader effort to protect birds of Spain, the campaign repeatedly calls for measures from administrations and organizations to safeguard the natural heritage represented by these species and their wetland habitats. Ongoing monitoring, habitat restoration, and responsible land use emerge as essential steps in reversing declines and securing a safer future for these remarkable birds.