Andorin Project

Introdution

Swifts, swallows and martins are birds extraordinarily adapted to an aerial lifestyle. These birds are essential for human well-being, as they control several populations of invertebrates, namely vectors of human diseases, agricultural and forest pests. However, the populations of swallows, martins and swifts are in decline! Land use change, which reduces insects’ availability; inadequate building management, which results in the destruction of nesting sites and climate change, which affects birds’ annual cycles, are the major threats to the survival of these birds.

The Andorin project aims to creat a partners’ network that contribute to the study and preservation of these birds, sensitizing the community and providing practical measures and tools for the conservation of swallows, martins and swifts.

All the information and activities related to this project can be found at www.andorin.pt

Objectives

Create a network of partners that contribute to the study and implementation of conservation measures for swallows, martins and swifts in Portugal;

Monitor populations of swallows and swifts in different parts of Portugal, seeking to establish population trends and assess the impact of climate change on these birds;

Create a free consultation Citizen Science platform that allows the inventory of swallows, martins and swifts’ nesting colonies;

Provide the community with practical measures and tools for the conservation of these birds;

Provide the school community with didactic activities about biodiversity conservation;

Train teachers and environment technicians about the project’s nature;

Environmental awareness actions for the community to explain the importance of conserving biodiversity in urban context and the impacts of climate change.

Intended Audience

School community

General population

Companies

Actions

Creation of a Citizen Science platform to record nesting sites.

Conducting scientific work (swallows, martins and swifts’ monitoring, climate change impact assessment and scientific ringing).

Lectures, Workshops and Environmental Education Sessions.

Construction and installation of artificial nests.

Consulting in buildings’ construction and requalification.

Duration

Since 2022

Contacts

andorin@vitanativa.org