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Date Published: 12/05/2023

Massive influx of migratory birds expected at Almeria salt lakes this summer

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More birds will flock to the Andalucía planes as temporary wetlands across Spain dry up

Massive influx of migratory birds expected at Almeria salt lakes this summer

Wildlife monitoring experts in Andalucía are excited for the coming summer, when migratory birds are expected to arrive at the Almeria salt lakes in their droves.

According to Mariano Paraculeeos, who has been studying the wetlands for the past 30 years, the prevailing drought in other regions means that this year, the Salinas de Cabo de Gata will be “like an oasis for birds”.

Environment Minister Ramón Fernández-Pacheco shared the promising news this week that last month, more than 2,200 wild birds descended on the salt flats, the best April since 2009.

“A historic figure that demonstrates the recovery of this wetland and that shows that all those doomsayers of catastrophic messages either did not know what they were talking about or had marked electoral interest,” he added.

The Salinas haven’t completely escaped the drought that has been drying up the Andalucían landscape in recent months, but the councillor is confident that the influx of birds in April marked “the turning point” for the wetlands, since the waterfowl population, in particular, has now reached its usual levels.

As explained by researcher Mr Paracuellos, in this shallow wetland “apart from the flamingos, the most representative birds are the larolimicolas and the waders” of which there are currently between “30 and 40 different species including sandpipers, plovers, stilts, different types of seagulls, terns and others”.

These numbers should swell even further in the coming months, since many migratory species seek refuge in Almeria as most of the temporary wetlands in the rest of Spain dry up in the summer months.

“It is a unique ecosystem and, as the counsellor said, the recovery of its flora and fauna was a matter of time and it is a satisfaction to observe this unique and valuable environmental enclave as we have always known it,” concluded Almeria mayor María del Mar Vázquez.

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Image: Freepik

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