SEO Birdlife: The home of bird lovers in Spain
Men admire the singing of birds and envy their freedom. Maybe that's why there are those who insist on locking them up, taking over one and stealing the other. Luckily, there are still those who know that, contrary to what the saying dictates, a hundred free birds are worth more than one in captivity. Something that they are very clear about SEO/BirdLife, the Spanish Society of Ornithology, which has been fighting for the conservation of wild birds and their habitat since 1954.
With more than 60 years of experience in the defense of the environment and fauna (mainly birds), SEO/BirdLife It is one of the five large Spanish NGOs dedicated to nature conservation. Those that every good environmentalist has heard of: WWF, Greenpeace, Ecologistas en Acción and Friends of the Earth.
But its scope of action does not remain in Spain, since SEO/BirdLife is part of BirdLife International. This association welcomes more than thirteen million members in more than 120 countries around the globe. Did you imagine that there were so many bird lovers on the planet?
If you are also one of them and want to know more about this bird defense platform, I invite you to continue reading.
A little history
On May 15, 1954 the Spanish Ornithological Society It was born within the National Museum of Natural Sciences, which was its first headquarters. Fifteen years later, they achieved their first great recognized success, the declaration of Doñana as a National Park.
The fight for natural spaces continues and, in 1977, SEO/BirdLife collaborates in the campaign for the proclamation of the Monfrague Natural Park. The National Ringer Meetings also begin to be held, dependent on the Bird Migration Center, created previously.
The 80s were a prosperous time for the association. Among other things, the Committee for the Protection of Birds and the Iberian Committee on Rarities are created. The first Bird Day was celebrated in 1987 and the first Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPA) were declared. Besides, SEO/BirdLife takes another step in its recognition at the European level, by becoming part, in 1988, of the European Environment Office.
But the decade of the 90s was perhaps the most successful for the group. In these years, SEO/Birdife stopped being a small association and became the important NGO it is today. They join BirdLife International, open new offices and develop new areas. In addition, they achieve several achievements in conservation, for example in the Santoña Marshes or the Ebro Delta.
Growth continues into the new millennium. New offices and delegations are opened, volunteers continue to join and new campaigns are started. Among others, those promoted for the conservation of the Iberian imperial eagle, one of the “pretty girls” of the association, stand out. Would you like to meet her? Doing birdwatching in Sierra Morena, Andújar, you can observe it.
What do you do?
To simplify, we could say that SEO/BirdLife is dedicated to the conservation of wild birds and their habitat, although this can translate into a thousand actions. Fundamentally, its work is carried out on three pillars: research, conservation and awareness.
The latter is essential; because you can only love what you know. To do this, they hold talks and guided tours, train teachers in environmental education, promote knowledge and respect for birds and promote environmental volunteer programs. Research, for its part, focuses on conducting scientific studies to increase knowledge about birds and the spaces in which they live.
Finally, among the conservation tasks, those related to the census and monitoring of birds stand out. In addition, of course, to all the specific campaigns in which they collaborate for the conservation of different species and natural places.
Some of the most important campaigns they carry out are, for example, “Taking up flight”, dedicated to the conservation of the Iberian imperial eagle, or “Wings over water”, which promotes the conservation of the most important wetlands. Maybe we should thank them that we can still enjoy the bird watching in the wetlands of Castilla-La Mancha.
Where can we find them
Although its headquarters are in Madrid, today SEO/BirdLife It has branches in Extremadura, the Basque Country, the Valencian Community, the Canary Islands, Catalonia, Andalusia, Cantabria and Aragon.
In addition, the association has some private offices in some protected natural areas, where they carry out essential research work for the conservation of many European birds. This is the case of the offices that are dedicated to the study of birds in Doñana or in the Ebro Delta.
Finally, there are 43 local groups spread throughout Spain, dedicated to raising awareness and disseminating the environment in general and birds in particular.
But if we talk about numbers, those of its partners and supporters stand out above all. More than 12,000 people are associated with SEO/BirdLife at the moment. But in addition, some 25,000 support the association in one way or another, and they have more than 7,000 volunteers each year.
These figures show the important work that SEO/BirdLife carries out in Spain and around the world. Do you dare to be one more?
There is no animal more elegant than the cheetah when running. If we talk about the savanna. When we look at the sky, the palm of mastery corresponds to the flight of the imperial eagle. Although the scepter is disputed. The winged fauna in Spain is so diverse and extensive that staying with just one favorite bird is almost impossible. If not, tell the friends of SEO/BirdLife.
