We share the code of ethics drawn up by SEO / BirdLife Spain, applicable to any wildlife watching activity in our country.

The habitat is vital for birds, so all our activities must be respectful of it and not cause any damage. We must leave everything as we find it.

It is clear that any alteration to the habitat can influence birds as well as the other elements that make up ecosystems and their biodiversity. Good habitat conservation is essential for bird welfare. As birdwatchers there are a number of actions we can take to help conserve bird habitats during our field visits:

• We will not leave any litter behind.
• We will not damage the flora or other natural elements of the environment, neither by collecting, moving them or moving them from place to place.
• Be careful where we walk, try to stay on paths and tracks and walk as little as possible off them. We will try to stay on trails and tracks and step as little as possible outside them. of the specimen we observe. From then on, let the bird come as close as it wants, moving freely. and let the bird move freely. This often produces surprising results.
• Avoid being noisy without making loud noises and speak quietly so as not to disturb wildlife or other observers. wildlife and other observers.

The tolerance of birds to human disturbance differs according to the species and the time of year. We must be careful not to disturb them at any time, but especially during the breeding season, as we could provoke them to abandon the nest, with the consequent loss of the clutch. The same happens in winter, when adverse conditions cause a loss of energy that is difficult to counteract. Special care should also be taken during migration, whether in autumn or spring.

The best way to know if you are disturbing a bird is to check if it alters its usual behaviour because of your presence or behaviour. For someone uninitiated, or inexperienced, it is very difficult to know when a bird is changing its behaviour, but for someone experienced this can be predicted quite accurately before it happens, so it is a matter of those in the know teaching those who do not yet identify these signs.

A bird that leaves its resting place, flees from our position, stops feeding, leaves a nest, shows signs of excitement or simply begins to look at us uneasily is a bird that feels threatened; it indicates that our presence is not welcome and we should withdraw. we should withdraw.

This precept is undoubtedly one of the most important in this code, as it alludes to many ways of acting and causes of discomfort. and causes of nuisance, but there are cases in which it takes on special importance because it concerns birds or times and circumstances in which birds or times and circumstances in which they are particularly sensitive:

• Nesting birds: Birds are particularly sensitive at this time in their life cycle, so extreme care must be taken at this time of year. be extremely careful at this time. We will not approach the nests and if we happen to pass by one we will we will try to stay as short a time as possible. Of course, you should not take or touch eggs and chicks. Breeding colony settlements are places to avoid, as disturbing a bird may cause the entire a bird can cause the whole colony to leave their nests and expose themselves to serious dangers.
• Birds in oestrus: During the oestrus season, the use of decoys or recordings to attract the attention of birds should be avoided. especially if this is done repeatedly in the same place. The expenditure of energy and exposure The energy expenditure and exposure to predators that this entails for the birds constitute great dangers to their survival.
• Migratory birds: Migratory birds resting or feeding at stopovers should not be disturbed. stopovers. They are often in a precarious state and need rest to replenish their strength and continue their journey. continue their journey; any extra activity can be fatal for them. Particular care should be taken flocks, as when a few birds get up or get upset, all the others will follow.
• Roosts : The same care should be taken as with birds nesting or resting from their journeys and do not go near them. and do not approach them.
• Weak birds : In stormy or snowy weather you should keep your distance from the birds, even if they do not flee when you approach them. flee when you approach. They will probably be unable to do so because of their weakness and our presence presence often leads them to make a “last-ditch effort” which can be fatal for them. A good way to act is to approach at a prudent distance, the more open the environment in which you are moving, the closer you can get. the more open the environment in which we are moving, and stop before we notice any change in behaviour.

If you find an endangered species breeding and you think it needs protection, report it to SEO/BirdLife as quickly as possible, at any of their offices. This is the best way to protect and conserve it, and to avoid publicising its exact location in other circles, which could be exploited by egg collectors or other groups that could cause a nuisance. It would also be a very important piece of information for the knowledge and protection of this species. The breeding site should not be visited during this period.

Threatened bird species (endangered, vulnerable, etc.) are listed in the Red Data Book. There are several categories in the Red Book of Birds of Spain) often have sparse and/or localised populations. Any disturbance or any disturbance or alteration in their environment can endanger their survival, especially if they are breeding, a particularly sensitive time. particularly sensitive time. Knowing their locations is essential in order to be able to monitor them by authorised by authorised specialists and to monitor their welfare.

This standard also seeks to emphasise the need to inform the competent authorities of those birds that we find to be affected by negative impacts (being run over, electrocuted, poisoned, illegally hunted, hunted illegally, killed or killed in the wild), poisoning, illegal hunting, nest plundering, negative actions on the habitat, etc.). This way we can locate sources of impact for the birds and take measures to prevent them from recurring.

The recommendation not to visit the site during the breeding season obviously does not affect those responsible for The recommendation not to visit the site during breeding obviously does not affect those responsible for monitoring the birds to determine the success or otherwise of the bird’s nesting, although, of course, they must make their visits with the utmost caution so as not to cause any disturbance. any disturbance.

Rare or vagrant birds should not be disturbed. If you spot one, you should report the sighting to SEO/BirdLife so that it can be evaluated by our Rarities Committee by emailing rarezas@seo.org. However, try not to tell everyone about it, as the excessive number of birdwatchers in the area can be a nuisance. Similarly, if you think it is an exotic bird you can report it to our Exotic Bird Group at exoticas@seo.org.

The observation of rarities or vagrant birds is a very attractive activity as it is always gratifying to have news in the local avifaunistic panorama. In recent times, with the spread of the Internet, this activity has experienced a notable boom and there are many observers who come to see the rarities that appear in any part of our geography. There have been cases in which, in order to obtain evidence of their presence (photographs, a good view to obtain an adequate description and even capture them for ringing), the pressure exerted by the observers has become unacceptable, causing obvious inconvenience. In these cases the welfare of the bird must always prevail, thus returning to point 1 of this code. We must also bear in mind that many of these birds have arrived in our territory after a hard journey or as a result of adverse weather conditions and are weakened by the
They are weakened and in poor physical condition, so they need peace and quiet to recover.

Sending the information obtained on these birds to the Rarities Committee is of vital importance, as this working group uses this information to compile the Spanish Bird List and, in addition, with the other information received from other observers, they can obtain the patterns of presence of these birds in our territory and, in short, an accurate and complete list of the birds that are present in our territory and, in short, a better knowledge of these birds and the places where they are found. Exotic birds often interfere with native species, hence the importance of sending this information to the Exotic Bird Group (GAE).

Birds are protected by law (Law 42/2007 on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity).
Biodiversity). This is the result of several generations of birdwatchers, scientists or amateurs.

In addition to the European and Spanish laws on the subject, there are various local regulations affecting Autonomous Communities or specific protected natural areas. In the case of the latter it is advisable to find out about them before visiting them.

It is true that, given the way some laws and regulations are worded, it seems that they can be interpreted in different ways. In case of doubt, we will use the most prudent and respectful interpretation for the birds and their environment in order to be able to with the birds and their environment in order to guarantee their welfare. We should not think that because of our knowledge and good intentions we have the right to and good intentions we have the right to a more lax and permissive interpretation of the laws with respect to other users. The rules must always be the same for everyone.

The rights of the owners of the property where we want to go must always be respected. always respected. Do not enter these properties without prior permission and do not go outside the permitted routes is essential for the conservation of the species.

Entering private land without permission may be an offence in itself, but it can also cause problems for the birds that inhabit it. to the birds that inhabit the site. A property with little human traffic, because it is private, may favour the installation of birds. private land, may favour the establishment of nesting birds or populations that would find it more difficult to find elsewhere. would encounter more difficulties elsewhere. Sudden entry could cause disturbance or damage if the terrain is not well known. the terrain, hence the importance of staying on public roads or entering with the permission or accompanied by the landowner.

When you meet other visitors in the viewing area, be aware that they have the same rights as you to enjoy the natural environment and its birdlife.

Birdwatching is an activity that can be done in all kinds of places and it is usually normal that there are other people watching birds or doing other activities. These people may be carrying out professional or leisure activities. At all times we must be respectful of the activities of other users, not obstructing the passage or occupying certain areas exclusively and avoiding any kind of disturbance.
avoiding any kind of disturbance.

In the event that other people are also birdwatchers, we must be discreet and not disturb both when we arrive and when we leave. disturb both when we arrive and when we leave, for example, when entering or leaving an observatory or when arriving or leaving a observatory or when arriving at or leaving an observation position. We shall not make disturbing noises or pass in front of them obstructing their view. Of course, neither shall we act in such a way as to frighten birds that are observing (we would also be interfering with point 1 of this code).
this code). In agricultural areas, it is important not to block roads, tracks and farm tracks with our vehicles, as a farmer is likely to be our vehicles, because a farmer will probably have to use them. If we move away from the If we drive away from the car, the farmer may waste precious time looking for us so that he can remove it. At the observation points, we may find tools or objects observation sites, we may find tools or objects belonging to the local population, especially in rural areas. rural areas. Even if these hinder our observation activity, they do not justify their removal without the owner’s permission. permission of the owner, and in the event of moving them we will return them to the way they were when we left. Act in a respectful and respectful and generous with other users contributes to a positive image of the birding community. of birdwatchers.

Much of the knowledge about the species we have today is the result of the sum of the quotations voluntarily shared by many birders. For this reason it would be a good idea to add your quotations to the previous ones in order to achieve a better knowledge and a better protection and conservation of birds.

This is obviously a recommendation and not a requirement, but it should be noted that the provision of records and information adds knowledge that contributes to conservation. We often believe that revealing certain information (nests, presence of rare birds, etc.) can be counterproductive for those birds, but there are also many cases in which sites and habitats have been destroyed because of a lack of knowledge of their value. On the other hand, there is a common idea that the data we obtain lacks scientific value: a mistaken idea, as much of the monitoring that is carried out and the knowledge that is acquired with it, particularly on the most common birds, is based on a large group of collaborators (not necessarily experts) who contribute local quotations that together with many others make up a more global information of great value (see examples such as the Atlas, SACRE programmes, Noctua, etc. See the Bird Monitoring website: www.seguimientodeaves.com, to find out more about these programmes).

Good behaviour and following these simple rules makes birders ambassadors for the conservation of birds and their habitats.

The best way to spread these manners and to achieve respect for our collective is, without doubt, to practice by example. Of course, these rules and tips are applicable wherever we go.