Among rooftops, squares and cornices: the city that birds have learned to inhabit

PalmA 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.

There are seagulls nesting on the rooftops of buildings and kestrels scanning from a cornice before swooping down to tear the head off a caged canary on a balcony. "The city is still a habitat like any other," summarizes Manolo Suárez, ornithology coordinator for the GOB (Balearic Ornithological Group). "Many more species live here than people imagine, not just pigeons and sparrows. There are more and more of them, even falcons, which were previously associated with rural or natural environments."

You have to know how to find them and abstract them from the constant traffic of delivery drivers, the noise of vehicles, and the phone conversations of those walking back and forth.

Generally speaking, "one cannot speak of a significant global change in urban birds but rather a transformation in the composition of species." It is not a mass disappearance, but a readjustment. In recent years, wood pigeons, collared doves, and kites have appeared, using the city "as a place to rest or feed." In urban gardens, one can find specimens of great horned owls sleeping in the trees, and in winter, seasonal birds such as rufous-collared sparrows arrive.

The case of starlings

Yes, the presence of starlings has decreased. "For years they used the city as a roost because they found protection from the open countryside. After the use of deterrent rockets, many haven't returned and now they concentrate in wetlands," explains Suárez. Palma isn't particularly hostile to birds, but they are affected by traffic noise and festivals. "They have to call more to find a mate and to give warning signals. This causes them stress and can affect breeding, as happens with the roof-raising and head-butting," he points out. Human intervention also has an impact. "City councils remove trees and authorize building renovations in the middle of the breeding season." The elimination of cavities in facades reduces nesting spaces. "Cat colonies also affect them if they are in garden areas, because cats, naturally, hunt. And this isn't taken into account. Some species are prioritized over others." Not all respond in the same way. "The more urban the birds are, the less these factors will affect them. For many, it's already their natural environment. The roof bird, for example, can find in the city an ease and security that the countryside doesn't offer."

Despite this adaptability, sparrows are declining across Europe. "Studies mention pollution, noise, food scarcity, and changes in urban architecture, but they are not conclusive. Not all factors affect all species equally." Conversely, pigeons have been increasing thanks to their adaptability. The Palma City Council has tried to control their spread with contraceptive feed, while conservation organizations like ARCA warn of the damage to heritage sites caused by the corrosive effect of their droppings.

Palma's topography works in favor of birds. It is not a city of skyscrapers with large glass surfaces, which are responsible for numerous fatal collisions elsewhere. However, according to Suárez, there is a lack of specific planning for parks and gardens. "They could incorporate more native plants with fruits and flowers, such as the wild olive and the shrub, adapted to our climate and beneficial to wildlife. Instead, they opt for ornamental species like plane trees and palm trees, which offer little nutritional value to birds. When an urban project is undertaken, flora is rarely taken into account."

He cites the Nius program in Catalonia as a reference, which monitors and registers birds before intervening in buildings and public spaces. "The Balearic Islands should take the lead in this area and even organize a conference," he suggests.

In the ports, you can see cormorants and, where water flows, species linked to wetlands such as the kingfisher and white and grey herons. "And if more were designed, like the Riera stream, there would be even more biodiversity. The adapted urban environment can accommodate many species," he maintains.

During the lockdown, the impression spread that birds had reclaimed the city and depended on human presence for food. Suárez clarifies: "They were looking for food, whether seeds or insects, and they approached the terraces." They didn't occupy any empty space. They were already there.

The initial scene repeats itself every day without him even noticing. Between tables, cornices, and ficus trees, the city is not just traffic and noise. It is also shared territory.