Portugal's common bird census finds long-term decline, no funding secured

SPEA's coordinator Hany Alonso discusses the latest Census of Common Birds, which shows long-term declines in species such as sparrows, cuckoos and swallows, driven mainly by agricultural intensification. He warns that common birds act as key indicators of wider ecosystem health, reflecting parallel losses in insects and other organisms. For the first time, the census included an urban environmental indicator. Alonso notes that 2025 saw 52 mainland volunteers plus over 30 in the Azores and Madeira, but stresses the project still lacks secured funding and needs greater political commitment to conservation, particularly in farmland.