A pair of sparrows approach the tables of some tourists, pecking at small birds. In the same square in the center of Palma, a group of pigeons pecks among the cracks in the pavement, and a turtledove hides among the leaves of a large ficus tree. The scene is so commonplace that it becomes invisible. The widespread idea is that the city drives away wildlife. But one only needs to stop for a few minutes to realize that the urban environment is full of birds, many more than are obvious. They don't disappear. They transform.

Risk maps of avian flu The weekly reports received by the Balearic Government "indicate a very worrying progression" in the Islands, as announced this Tuesday by the Director General of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Fernando Fernández, during the presentation of the animal health report and the main control systems in the Balearic Islands. "We are at the critical point of risk for avian flu," he insisted. However, he celebrated that there are no outbreaks of the disease in the Balearic Islands and assured that the strategy adopted by the Executive to address it "is working well." The Government has relaxed the measures imposed by the Spanish government, since the ministerial order states that the autonomous communities can adjust the measures to adapt them to the realities of their farms, and has not confined the birds. However, last month the Executive tightened precautions and extended the measure to all municipalities in the Islands. The Ministry of Agriculture has also activated preventative measures, such as the confinement of birds when their protection from contact with wild birds cannot be guaranteed, the prohibition of poultry fairs and markets, and the reinforcement of epidemiological surveillance, especially in wetlands and migratory route areas. In this regard, a new unified protocol for the detection of avian influenza has been developed, targeting wild birds, poultry, captive birds, and game birds. During 2025, controls were increased by 64 percent compared to the national program, with 61 actions taken, while in 2024, 37 were carried out. "However, we are particularly concerned about the low reporting of moribund or dead wild birds for sampling," the director explained.