SEO BirdLife
Who are we?
We study, preserve, and disseminate information about birds and nature. We dedicate our time and financial resources to research and science, conservation actions, and educational and outreach activities.
Basic information
Founding date
1954
Members
More than 12,000 in Spain (1,200 in Catalonia)
Location
Madrid
Why did it come about?
The beginnings
The beginnings of SEO/BirdLife were linked to the fight for the defense of Doñana. The Spanish Ornithological Society was a pioneering organization in the fields of nature and biodiversity conservation in Spain. Its objective is to conserve wild birds and their habitat in Spanish territory, as well as, through BirdLife International, to contribute to global biodiversity conservation.
An example to follow
Internationally, our reference organization is BirdLife International, as it works for global conservation using birds as indicators of environmental health. On a more local level, we admire the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), our counterpart in the United Kingdom, for its ability to bring together a large number of people (it has over 1 million members) concerned about environmental conservation.
News
Current initiatives
- Monitoring of bird populations to determine their status, as this is an indicator of the conservation status of habitats.
- Environmental awareness and education, for both adults and children, through activities, courses, talks, etc.
- Conservation actions, either through the evaluation of plans and projects or through the development of studies on the impact of infrastructures, pesticide use, illegal hunting, etc. on birds and biodiversity.
Funding sources
Membership fees, donations, social activities, public grants, agreements and contracts, and financial resources.
Concerns
Current concerns
Following the creation of Natura 2000 (an extensive network of protected areas to ensure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable species and habitats), the main concerns are its dissemination and the development of management plans for these areas.
Achieve adequate protection of wetlands, as they are highly threatened habitats. We have launched the Save Three Wetlands campaign. It focuses on the Ebro Delta, Doñana, and La Albufera. These Spanish wetlands face serious conservation problems due to pollution, water overexploitation, and climate change. All of this is causing the slow and silent disappearance of wetlands.
Continue fighting to eliminate threats to nature and biodiversity (such as new agricultural policies, pesticide use, bird collisions and electrocutions on power lines) and avoid the construction of new infrastructure (roads, ski resorts, marinas, new irrigation areas, etc.). All of this affects endangered species such as the Western Capercaillie, the Balearic Shearwater, the Iberian Imperial Eagle, and other steppe species.
Reflections
A disturbing thought
Each year, SEO/BirdLife declares a species as "Bird of the Year" to raise awareness about its conservation and work to reverse its unfavorable situation.
In 2017, the little bustard was declared Bird of the Year due to the severe decline in Spain's steppe regions.
In previous years, species such as the sparrow and the swallow were also considered Bird of the Year due to the worrying decrease in their populations.
A reflection for hope
More and more people are becoming interested in the conservation of the natural environment and are starting to demand a change in mentality from the authorities, not only for the conservation of birds and biodiversity, but also for our own health and well-being.
How can I help?
Ways to support
To achieve our objectives, we need the support of the public, as it must be society itself that pressures the administration, institutions, companies, etc., for the conservation of our natural legacy.
You can offer this support in many ways. For example, by becoming a member of the organization. The more members we have, the stronger the organization will be.
There are more ways to help SEO / BirdLife:
- Supporting and disseminating our campaigns.
- Participating in volunteer activities (bird counts, clean-up campaigns, etc.).
- Making financial contributions. There are options for all budgets. For example, through crowdfunding.
- Also with donations and legacies.
Upcoming goals
A dream
Our dream is a world rich in biodiversity, where humans and nature coexist in harmony, and our mission is to conserve biodiversity (using birds as a foundation) through the participation and involvement of society.
Objective 1
Achieve a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that is more respectful of biodiversity and helps farmers to adopt more environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
Objective 2
To work for more sustainable fishing and, above all, to help fishers reduce the number of accidental bycatch of seabirds, for example, in longline fishing. Unfortunately, some endangered species such as the Balearic shearwater are often caught. This represents an economic loss for fishers and a great impact on these species.
Objective 3
To open a debate on hunting and its implications for biodiversity conservation.
Barn Swallow
Cleaning tasks
Environmental education
Birdwatching