Farmland birds in Portugal decline for two decades, survey finds

A report by the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), covering 2004-2025 census data from mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores, shows forest and urban bird populations improving while farmland species keep declining. Skylarks, barn swallows, cuckoos and woodchat shrikes show worrying trends, among others. Of 23 farmland species regularly assessed, ten show moderate decline, including barn swallows, little owls and bee-eaters. SPEA says biodiversity in agricultural areas remains under strong pressure, affecting both resident and migratory birds across insectivorous, granivorous and carnivorous groups, despite growing public participation in the surveys.