Andorra's Birdwatching Data Joins EuroBirdPortal for Real-Time Tracking
Local observations from volunteers are now integrated into the European platform, enhancing near real-time insights into bird distributions, migrations, and potential disease risks across the continent.
Key Points
- Andorra Recerca + Innovació feeds local sightings from ornitho.ad to EBP.
- EBP tracks nearly 600 bird species across Europe with 750 million records since 2010.
- Upgraded visor aids monitoring of migration, biodiversity, and zoonotic risks.
- Project co-funded by EU LIFE programme; public encouraged to submit observations.
Andorra's birdwatching data is now contributing to the EuroBirdPortal (EBP), a European platform tracking the distribution and movements of nearly 600 bird species in near real-time across the continent.
Andorra Recerca + Innovació (AR+I) channels local observations through the citizen science portal ornitho.ad into the platform's upgraded visor. Launched in 2015 with the Institut Català d’Ornitologia (ICO), ornitho.ad collects sightings from volunteers and nature enthusiasts throughout the Principat. These records integrate into European databases, bolstering continental monitoring of bird populations.
The enhanced tool offers a more comprehensive view of avian presence and migration patterns, updated almost in real time. AR+I notes that such tracking could identify high-risk zones for zoonotic disease transmission by wild birds if threats arise. The platform also advances scientific knowledge of Andorra's biodiversity and bolsters international research and conservation initiatives.
The EBP unites more than 50 ornithological organizations from 41 countries, aggregating nearly 750 million records since 2010 from national portals. Observations via ornitho portals account for 44% of the total. The visor improvements stem from the LIFE EBP Reinforcement project, co-funded by the European Union's LIFE programme.
AR+I encourages nature enthusiasts to join ornitho.ad and submit sightings to enrich the updated portal and support European bird monitoring.
The announcement was made on 21 September 2026 from Andorra la Vella.
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