According to the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), if nothing changes soon, it will be necessary to find another symbol for the arrival of spring.

SPEA adds that the cuckoo and the turtledove are also in decline in Portugal, Spain, and Europe in general.


The data is part of the Bird Census, which evaluated the population trends of 64 common birds in mainland Portugal for the period 2004-2023. A comparison was also made with what has been happening in Spain and Europe, regarding the same birds.

“In the midst of a biodiversity crisis, having access to up-to-date information on the status of our common bird species is a huge added value,” says, quoted in the statement, Hany Alonso, SPEA technician and coordinator of the Census of Common Birds.

And he adds: “By looking at common birds we can better understand what is happening around us. These species will be the first to give us an indication that something is not right.”

SPEA notes that, in addition to migratory birds, birds common in agricultural areas, such as the sparrow, and the kestrel, have been in decline over the last 20 years, due to the “intensification of agricultural practices”, which have been destroying “the traditional mosaics that allowed biodiversity to flourish”.