2023-05-13 06:34:40
They are allied species of the human being, but the warming and the lack of water threaten them
This Saturday May 13th is celebrated the world day of migratory birdsAlthough there is another day in the year dedicated to these same species, October 14, and this is due to the cyclical nature of migrations. It is a permanent round trip on which the survival of millions of birds on the planet depends and, with them, many other organisms.
The purpose of this conference is to highlight the significant decline of many species of migratory birds, despite the valuable role they play in our society. But why are they important?
First, many species of migratory birds, such as swallows and swifts, are insectivorous, that is, they they feed on insects. In this way, they help control pests and act as natural ‘insecticides’. This is how these birds are essential for agriculture, as they save the use of huge amounts of pesticides, with all their negative consequences for the environment and humans.
Likewise, these birds play a very relevant role in the food industry, as seed dispersers in different parts of the world, thus helping to maintain the ecological balance.
On the other hand, birds are valuable indicators of the health of ecosystems. When there is a change in the migratory patterns of birds, problems such as pollution, global warming or habitat destruction may be occurring.
In addition, the conservation of migratory birds is also important from an economic point of view, since there are more and more places that promote the observation tourism. It is an activity that enhances the protection of species and makes birds known among the population.
Spain constitutes the main migratory corridor of birds Western Europe, with such important wetlands as Doñana, Urdaibai (Basque Country), Delta del Ebro (Catalonia), Gallocanta (Zaragoza) or the Albufera de Valencia, among others. Our country, therefore, is a privileged vantage point for the observation and also for the conservation of these species.
In Spain you can see regarding 600 species of birds, of which regarding 200 are migratory.
without water there are no birds
In this 2023 edition, bird defense entities highlight the urgent need to preserve water to maintain the birdlife. At a time when water losses are reported daily in Doñana, Tablas de Daimiel and other Spanish wetlands, it must be taken into account that many birds feed on fish, invertebrates and other aquatic organisms that live in the water. All this collapses without the liquid element, and it is a whole ecological chain that collapses.
The existence of lagoons, rivers, lakes and other aquatic spaces in good condition is essential not only for food. They also need water to reproduce and breed in the case of anatids, waders or waders such as ducks, herons or flamingos.
But, in addition, some species of migratory birds use geographical features related to water (rivers or lakes, above all) to orient themselves during their long migratory journeys.
All this, however, is threatened by the increasing global warming and overexploitation of aquifers, as is being seen in Doñana, where illegal (and sometimes also legal) agricultural activities are destroying the water this ecosystem needs. Mass tourism, swimming pools for recreational use and other human activities are helping to deplete this precious resource, which will become increasingly scarce in Spain.
Other threats are wind farms or electric tendidos once morest which they continually collide. Hundreds and thousands of birds die because of these facilities, according to denounces every year by conservation entities. Light pollution is another of your enemies.
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Contact of the Environment section: [email protected]
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#important #decline
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