BirdLife Europe and Central Asia

Are you a Swiftie?🎵 NO? The next big Eras Tour of the Common Swift (𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘴) is almost around the corner as they start to migrate to sub-Saharan Africa for winter. Did you know that swifts even fly when they are asleep? These tiny and cute birds are the real queens and kings of the sky. They are known to spend most of their lives in the air, feeding, sleeping, and mating all on wings. These amazing sky dancers that accompany us on those warm summer nights face increasing threats though, and one of them includes the lack of nesting sites on buildings. But the good news is, you can build nesting boxes to help them during breeding season!  Some of our Partners, such as RSPB and NABU e.V. published online guidelines to build nesting boxes at home! Read all about the Common Swifts, their strange-looking companions, and who are the most popular swifties advocating for the species. Some stats for on-the-go: 🐦IUCN status: Least Concern ⌛️ Lifespan: Up to 20 years 📏 Wingspan: 36-40 cm   🦟Favourite food: Insects caught in flight  🌬️Top Speed: up to 111 km/h Our migratory bird of the month> https://lnkd.in/dP2dHMPc 📸 1.Yves Adams, 2. Ben Andrew (rspb-images)

Although often dismissed as lifeless scars on the landscape, quarries hide a surprising secret: they can be thriving havens for amphibians. These industrial sites can actually create unique environments where species like the Natterjack Toad and European Tree Frog find refuge. These landscapes offer the perfect conditions for amphibian lives to flourish. Active quarrying regularly creates new and in particular temporary water bodies in wheel tracks or excavation depressions. These temporary ponds are particularly important breeding habitats for the Natterjack Toad and Yellow-bellied Toad, both suffering from significant population declines. Today, quarry ponds are often the last refuge for these species in our landscapes. Climate change poses new challenges as well. Some temporary ponds dry out too early, hindering successful amphibian metamorphosis even for fast-developing species like the Natterjack Toad. Today, many quarry reclamation plans propose filling, afforesting or flooding quarries after mining operations come to an end. But these measures should generally be avoided due to their negative impact on amphibians and other conservation-sensitive groups. Through our partnerships with mineral extractive companies such as Sibelco Group, we can work together on the ground to protect these unconventional habitats that are key for biodiversity. BirdLife & Sibelco recommend creating additional ponds in quarries that retain water until the end of summer. Artificial ponds that can be drained to prevent the establishment of fish are another viable option. Additionally, in abandoned quarries, regular cutting and removal of shoreline vegetation should be implemented to maintain early-successional stages. The work of conservationists and responsible industries, like Sibelco, shows that with thoughtful management, quarries can do more than just serve their industrial purpose—they can become lifelines for species teetering on the brink. As climate change continues to reshape our world, protecting and enhancing these hidden havens is more important than ever. #RestoreNature #GenerationRestoration #natureconservation

Today, the Nature Restoration Law enters into force and we're here for it! 🤩 It’s a truly historic moment as the law sets legally-binding targets for Member States to restore 20% of land areas and 20% of seas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. This day follows years of advocacy and campaigning from the #RestoreNature movement to get the Nature Restoration Law across the finish line. 📽️ Watch our video recap of the campaign and let’s work together next to restore our rivers, forests, seas, wetlands & green our cities all around Europe 🦋

🐺 Happy International #Wolf Day! Today we celebrate these incredible creatures and our progress towards peaceful coexistence. 💚 🤝 Across Europe, innovative initiatives are proving that living in harmony with wolves is not just a dream, but a reality. 🚧 In Flanders, Belgium, the Wolf Fencing Team, founded in February 2019 by our partners Natuurpunt and Natagora and by WWF, is leading the way by better protecting livestock with effective fencing solutions. 🐾 In the Netherlands, the use of guard dogs has shown remarkable success in protecting farmed animals from wolf encounters. 🐶 As in Portugal, an initiative enabling local shepherds to work with guard dogs has become a shining example of how community and conservation can work hand in hand. These success stories show that coexistence is possible and beneficial for both wildlife and human communities. By investing in prevention and innovative solutions, we can protect our keystone species and preserve the delicate balance of our ecosystems. 📢 Let's continue to support these initiatives and work towards a future where wolves and people thrive together. 📝 Do you want to help? You can sign this petition against the lowering of the protection status of the wolf in the EU: https://lnkd.in/eCiKyas4 #SavetheWolf

𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 – 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 🤔 It is a breezy day; the wind tickles the small hair on your skin while you look toward the endlessness of the shallow North Sea. A group of wind turbines are turning in sync with the wind on the horizon. But have you ever noticed the few ones that don’t turn or that seem to go slightly slower than the others? The reasons can vary, but it could be that this wind farm applies bird curtailment to protect seabirds and migratory land birds from collision. Bird curtailment temporarily stops or slows down wind turbines during periods of high collision risk, making it an effective mitigation strategy for onshore and offshore wind farms. As a response to climate change, offshore wind farms are expanding rapidly, and the voices to reduce possible negative impacts on different habitats are growing louder. Many wind farm operators work with scientists and NGOs to carefully select sites, conduct impact assessments, and even apply measures to reduce noise during construction. Mitigating negative impacts is essential to produce green energy. Bird curtailment is a very effective tool to avoid collisions with birds. However, it can reduce energy production, due to stopped or slowed-down turbines, and therefore potentially affect the financial viability of wind farms. A new report published by BirdLife Europe & Central Asia and Strix explores different strategies and monitoring technologies to minimize this potential loss while protecting birds. Various success stories are featured, such as the Start/Stop project in the Netherlands, which uses a predictive model to identify high-intensity bird migration periods in offshore wind farms in the Dutch part of the North Sea. Avian radar data from offshore areas and environmental and weather data from migration routes are used to develop these prediction models. With a focus on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, two regions with extensive offshore wind development, the report advocates for regional cooperation and coordination to ensure bird conservation at a sea basin level. So, the next time you see wind turbines at sea that are not rotating with the wind, it might be that bird curtailment is implemented to protect our feathery friends. Read more here> https://lnkd.in/dtxupZ2t #offshorewind #energytransition 📹 Pavlo Glazkov

𝗔 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂!😍 You saved the magical wetland Hal’s Marsh! This beautiful spot in Slovakia is home to endangered species such as the Ferruginous Duck (𝘈𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘺𝘢 𝘯𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘢) and the inconspicuous Purple Heron (𝘈𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘢.) Intensive agriculture in the surrounding area and the construction of a dam made frequent droughts a serious threat. But it became even more serious when new proposals for the land came in. There were plans to transform the wetland into an economic fishpond, drain it, and convert it into a tree plantation or a solar power plant. The birds and other species were on the brink of losing their home. Luckily our Partner SOS/BirdLife Slovensko, who has worked in the wetland for years, swooped in with the campaign "𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘞𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵." In just 4 months hundreds of supporters, 𝗬𝗢𝗨!, have raised enough money for them to buy the land and help it flourish again. 💚 Thank you to all the supporters, your donations helped to #restorenature in Hal's Marsh. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲> https://lnkd.in/dMbr3vUr 📸1 + 4, Ervín Hrtan; 2 + 3, SOS BirdLife Slovakia

Them: Back from holidays, sharing how many creative new work ideas they came up with during their time at the beach. You, who stays at the office all summer: ... #workinspiration #dowhatyoulove 📷 Bert Willaert

Good news for Europe's smallest vulture✨🌍    For the first time in 40 years, Egyptian #vulture numbers are rising in #Bulgaria, thanks to over 20 years of dedicated #LIFEProgramme’s conservation efforts 🦅 Innovative measures such as GPS tracking and focused conservation strategies have been key to this success 💪 Read more about this achievement 🔗 https://bit.ly/3zU4suK #LIFEProgramme

For power grids with birds in mind 🦉 The 7 principles for a bird-friendly grid can help reaching better standards, but we need data! Principle 4️⃣ advocates for the standardisation in data collection. Addressing the impact of electricity grid infrastructure on bird population is difficult due to current fragmentation and lack of data across Europe. A centralised, standardised, open-source database that holds historic data on bird casualties, grid infrastructure, and bird presence can increase accessibility and therefore implementation of informed mitigation strategies. #SharedAirspace Read the whole document, available in English, German, French, Greek and Albanian! https://lnkd.in/eQQiqrFC SafeLines4Birds, LIFE Programme

🚨 Call for tender🚨 ✨ We're looking for a consultant to support our policy team on nature-related policies! 🌿 🦉 We are seeking someone with an in-depth knowledge of environmental challenges and bird conservation, an interest in European politics and a personal commitment to tackling the nature and climate crisis. 🗓️ Deadline to apply: Friday, 9 August 2024 – 12:00 CET ℹ️ More info: https://lnkd.in/e94YGY83 #job #jobad #opportunity #naturejobs