Balearic warbler in atlas of over 10.3m bird records

More than 10.3 million bird records help map the Balearic warbler, found only in the Balearic Islands, Spain, and trace the European storm petrel’s winter route towards the Atlantic Ocean. Both species feature in a Spanish bird atlas presented in October 2026. Researchers Ana Sanz, Sofia Bolumar and Margarida Barceló of the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies contributed to the work, published by SEO/BirdLife.

The atlas covers the movements, distribution and seasonal presence of more than 300 bird species in Spain. It draws on records of birds fitted with identifying rings and later recovered, collected between 1905 and 2025.

Following a seabird out to sea

The European storm petrel is the smallest seabird that nests in the Mediterranean Sea. It spends much of its life on the open water and approaches land only to breed. Its small size and night-time activity at breeding sites make it difficult to study.

Sanz and Bolumar used their work with bird-tracking devices to describe its routes towards the Atlantic during winter. Their atlas contribution also identifies important feeding areas at sea and threats including pollution, extreme weather and climate change.

A bird found only in the Balearics

Barceló wrote the Balearic warbler entry with Óscar Gordo. It brings together records of where the bird is found, details from bird ringing and changes in its presence through the seasons.

The entry shows why an atlas of bird movements is not just about long migrations. Species confined to a small area can also shift where they are found during the year. Knowing where the Balearic warbler lives matters because its limited range may leave it especially sensitive to environmental change.

Topics: Nature & wildlife

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com