Spanish Ornithological Society leading Life Agrostepas Ibericas initiative
The Spanish Ornithological Society, also known as SEO/BirdLife, oversees a project aimed at improving farming practices to safeguard steppe birds across Natura 2000 sites in Extremadura, Aragon, and Alentejo in Portugal. The effort focuses on guaranteeing protections for species tied to agricultural landscapes and sustaining their populations in these regions.
The LIFE Agroestepas Ibéricas program has a total budget of 3 million euros. It spans thirteen Natura 2000 sites: six in Extremadura, four in Aragon, and three in Alentejo. The initiative lays out concrete measures to align farming with the needs of threatened birds and to explore practical ways for landowners to participate in conservation success.
Among the species targeted by the project are small bustards and larger bustard relatives, as well as Montagu’s harrier. This work is part of broader recognition of these birds, which was highlighted when one species was named Bird of the Year 2023 by the NGO community. The plan is designed to unfold over the next five years, introducing and testing barter style models that benefit farmers while improving the survival and reproductive success of the most endangered birds connected to agriculture.
Marcelino Cardalliaguet, SEO/BirdLife representative in Extremadura, described the project as ambitious and important for slowing the decline of the most threatened agricultural birds. The strategy seeks a strong alliance among public administrations, farmers, and conservation organizations, ensuring that conservation goals align with local realities.
ASAJA, one of the project’s partners funded by the European Commission, will foster networks of communication with farmers and ranchers within ZEPA zones where the initiative operates. The objective is to design aid models that protect birds on working farms with direct farmer participation. The approach will be replicated in Aragon and in Portugal, with SPEA and LPN named as beneficiary partners and with support from the Portuguese government via the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, ICNF. (attribution: SEO/BirdLife)
sharp declines in populations
The NGO highlights three species as particularly threatened in agricultural steppes: the bustard, the great bustard, and Montagu’s harrier. All have shown pronounced negative population trends over roughly the past decade and a half. The little bustard, for its part, has fallen by about 47.6 percent in eleven years, with Extremadura bearing a 64 percent drop between 2005 and 2016, earning a designation of being endangered in that autonomous community. In Portugal, national censuses indicate a 49 percent decrease between 2003 and 2016. Across Spain, bustard populations have also declined by more than 30 percent from 2005 to 2019, with the decline steepest in Extremadura and the situation in Aragon placing the species in an endangered category. (attribution: SEO/BirdLife)
Montagu’s Harrier has undergone significant recent declines as well, with Spain recording an average population loss around 23 percent during 2006 to 2017, and Extremadura experiencing a sharper drop around 41 percent in the same window. In Portugal, the most recent national census shows the species has lost about 80 percent of its population over the last fifteen years. The project therefore concentrates its efforts on protecting this species in Portugal while addressing needs across the other regions. (attribution: SEO/BirdLife)
good farming practices
The initiative promotes practical farming practices with cooperating farms and the revival of old grain varieties. These strategies are designed to suit local climate conditions marked by low rainfall and high temperatures, enabling farmers to grow crops of higher market value, greater durability, and with reduced reliance on chemical inputs. Advanced techniques include the use of drone imagery and thermal cameras to monitor fields from safe altitudes, supporting precise, wildlife-friendly management. (attribution: SEO/BirdLife)
Ana Carricondo, coordinator of SEO/BirdLife conservation programs, emphasizes the need to combine efforts and align interests across farming and conservation. The aim is to ensure that agricultural habitats receive robust protection while respecting the realities of productive sectors and the people who manage them. (attribution: SEO/BirdLife)
The project is led by SEO/BirdLife and is funded through the European Union LIFE Naturaleza program together with ASAJA as beneficiary partners. It also involves regional and national partners including the Junta de Extremadura through the Directorates of Sustainability and Agriculture, Extremadura’s Research Center CICYTEX, and international collaboration with the University of Porto’s CIBIO, the SPEA association, and LPN. (attribution: SEO/BirdLife)
Additional official program notes indicate continued efforts across EU and national partner networks to integrate conservation with farming realities, setting a model for future, farm-based biodiversity initiatives. (attribution: SEO/BirdLife)
Note: Contact details for the environment department have been removed to maintain privacy in this rewrite. (attribution: SEO/BirdLife)