SEO/BirdLife
‘s Spring Common Bird (Sacre) Tracking Program turns 25 years old. 25 years following the common birds of Spain, more than a hundred different species. Thanks to this we know the situation of the birds in spring and we are in a position to undertake actions for their conservation.
The SACRE data reflects the health of the birds, whether they are increasing or declining. It is a thermometer of the health of our environment and our quality of life. And the conclusions of his latest study are not encouraging enough. 37% of common birds in Spain are in an unfavorable situation . We ran out of partridges and swallows.
“That more than a third of common birds are in an unfavorable situation is an alarm signal that should activate clear policies and actions to tackle the ecological crisis we are suffering, and from which such popular species as the sparrow , the partridge or the swift , Bird of the Year 2021, have been warning us for too long. It is
surprising to see birds that are part of our collective imagination on the list of declines because they are birds that have always accompanied us”, points out the executive director of SEO/BirdLife , Asuncion Ruiz.
The results of the Sacre program indicate that 44% of the species present a positive population trend and another 19% reflect a stable situation in their populations, but that does not mean that the situation is good.
Some species such as the gray shrike, skylark, lark, common quail, wheatear, blond wheatear, dart warbler, pied bunting, mountain bunting, barn swallow, western jackdaw, and red partridge are at the edge of the threat category at scale. state and regional.
44% of the species show a positive population trend and another 19% reflect a stable situation in their populations.
Among all the species on which information can be obtained, SEO/BirdLife focuses on five of them: the Rock Thrush, the Gray Shrike, the Red Partridge, the Common Swift and the European Robin.
The Rock Thrush , a species linked to the high mountains, and the decrease in numbers is one of the highest recorded among common birds, whose presence has been reduced by up to 95% in the last 23 years, mainly due to climate change.
The royal shrike , a great predator of grasshoppers, crickets and small vertebrates, shows a decline of 62.6% due to the enormous use of chemical products.
the red partridge, with almost 40% loss in the species and essential for feeding chickens, with multiple threats such as the use of fungicides, repopulation and hybridization with non-native partridge species or hunting.
The common swift , linked for centuries to human constructions, and plagued by problems linked to urban environments, such as pollution, which leads to a decline of 30%.
The European robin, the exception
The species that are most avoiding the negative trend are those that are linked to forest environments. Among them stands out the European robin, which has increased its presence by 44.4%. More than 1,000 citizen science volunteers do vital work for the SACRE program. These 25 years have shown us that we need SACRE for another 25 years, always counting on the participation of the citizenry.
