Sharp Decline in Wintering Waterbirds

Catalonia’s wintering waterbird population has dropped by half over the past 17 years, according to the latest official census led by the Generalitat and carried out in collaboration with scientific and environmental organisations. In January 2026, 227,074 birds were counted, a figure similar to 2025 but far below the 331,336 recorded in 2024 and nearly 500,000 seen in 2009. The census covers key wetland areas including the Ebro Delta, the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà and the Llobregat Delta, which traditionally provide winter refuge for migratory species.

40% of Species in Decline

Of the 100 waterbird species surveyed, 40 are in clear decline, up from 31% six years ago, while 36 show signs of recovery and 20 have uncertain trends. The drop is particularly alarming among species dependent on wetland habitats, which serve as ecological indicators of lagoon health.

"It’s a very significant decline, a real drama for biodiversity,"

said Xavier Jiménez, president of the Grup d’Estudi i Protecció dels Ecosistemes Catalans (GEPEC), stressing the urgent need to effectively restore and protect sites like the Ebro Delta.

Three Main Causes Identified

The report identifies three primary factors behind the decline:

  • The deteriorating status of bird populations in their northern breeding grounds, which affects numbers migrating to southern Europe;
  • Climate change, which is shifting wintering ranges northward as milder temperatures reduce the need for long-distance migration;
  • Poor conservation of Catalan wetlands, worsened by recent droughts, particularly in rice fields in the Ebro Delta.

"Without proper management and restoration of wetlands, it’s impossible for birds to find the peace they seek during winter," Jiménez added.

Hunting Adds Pressure

Eight of the 18 species showing steep declines are legally hunted in Catalonia, including the common pochard, Eurasian wigeon, common teal, shoveler, pintail, gadwall, black-headed gull and yellow-legged gull. Two others with moderate declines, the green-winged teal and northern shoveler, are also game species.

"It’s serious that hunted species are the ones declining most, especially when some have no business being hunted given their status,"

said Jiménez, noting that even protected species avoid wetlands where hunting occurs. The census, originally designed to monitor game species for sustainable hunting decisions, now also informs the designation of protected areas and the management of the Natura 2000 network.

Anatids, ducks, geese and swans, show the steepest declines, while waders (shorebirds with long bills linked to muddy wetlands) remain moderately stable. Herons and bitterns (ardeids) show slight improvement. Species with the sharpest drops include the vulnerable black-tailed godwit and Mediterranean gull, seven protected species such as the ferruginous duck and red-crested pochard, and the non-game, non-protected smew. The report warns of a "very strong decline" in common moorhen and water rail, once widespread but now vanishing from many locations. Despite fluctuations linked to conditions in the Ebro Delta, where many birds congregate, the overall trend remains negative.

The full 2025 winter waterbird census and previous years’ data are available via the Generalitat’s environmental repository.

Primary sources: mediambient.repositori.gencat.cat. Reported by elperiodico.cat, elperiodico.com, Publicat per Ricard Gutiérrez blogs, El Periódico (CA).