The application “Guide to birds and ornithological itineraries in Spain” can be downloaded free of charge for Android and Apple devices and is a version of the Encyclopedia of Birds of Spain, which was published in 2008 by SEO/BirdLife and the BBVA Foundation, aimed at both the general public and expert ornithologists. Therefore, the scientific level of this new App is assured.
From now on, we can inform ourselves from our smartphones about the life, behavior, distribution or conservation status of the 563 species of Spanish birds, both those that visit our territory occasionally as well as the usual ones. In addition, we will have the possibility of consulting routes through 25 enclaves of great ornithological importance.
To the informative texts, the application adds songs, videos, photographs, illustrations and maps, which allows us to identify any species that we hear or observe in a park or natural setting and consult all the related data. A resource that will satisfy both amateurs and professionals.
The information collected by this App has been created by SEO / BirdLife from its scientific resources and the collaboration of a wide network of ornithologists, thousands of bird fans who voluntarily contribute to the association, something that its president, Eduardo de Juana, values very positively, defining this new creation as a “collective work made with the effort of many”, which materializes “citizen science”.
With this initiative, SEO / BirdLife goes one step further in its objective of bringing nature closer to people, providing citizens with the possibility of improving their health, both physical and mental, combining the benefits of approaching nature with those of learning and enrich yourself with it. A very healthy option to mix knowledge and leisure.
Birds have been grouped into two categories: regular and occasional. The former are those that have a regular presence in Spain during the breeding season, migratory passages or wintering, while the latter appear exceptionally and are classified as rarities.
The name of the 363 common species can be found in all the official languages of the state and in English, in addition to their scientific nomenclature, presence category, migratory status, habitats, distribution, population, biology, ecology, threats and measures. conservation. The information also includes songs, videos, illustrations, photographs and maps and establishes a comparison between species with similar characteristics.
As for the 200 occasional birds included in the application, the information is more limited, sticking to the most relevant data that allows their identification and cataloging. Both these species and the usual ones can be searched in the App by their names in any of the available languages, as well as by their scientific name.
And to know where to spot these species, you can consult the 25 itineraries distributed by the most suitable enclaves for bird watching. An interactive general situation map will help us locate ourselves and other specific ones will guide us along the routes, with photographic samples of the most interesting locations and an augmented reality tool that will allow us to find nearby geo-referenced points of interest.
