The metal birds that glide over the Llobregat delta bound for El Prat airport are not the only flying elements in the area. In fact, this place just a stone’s throw from Barcelona is also an important meeting point for hundreds of species of birds. Some of these birds are protected and find, a few months a year on one of the beaches in Viladecans, a space where they can nest calmly without the stress of living with humans.
Until the end of July, the Remolar de Viladecans beach will be closed to encourage the nesting of protected species, as reported by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) this Thursday in a statement. It is not an unusual practice. It has been done previously for several years. Specifically, it has been done since 2021. The snowy plover (charadrius alexandrinus) is one of the birds that benefits from the measure.
This type of bird is protected at various administrative levels and its natural habitat is the coast. In Catalonia, they are usually located in another delta, that of the Ebro River. But decades ago their presence was also important in the last stretch of the Llobregat. It was during the last decade of the last century when 85% of couples in this area disappeared, going from 150 to 25.
For Daniel Palacios, head of the AMB beach service, this action is “an example of management that confirms the balance between environmental preservation, the improvement of biodiversity and the social uses of the beaches.” The Remolar sandy area is part of the Natura 2000 Network and is declared a special protection area for birds (Zepa). In Viladecans there are more beaches and Murtra and Pineda will continue to be available to residents.
Beyond this area, most of the birds in the area can be seen in the protected areas of the Llobregat delta, located a few kilometers from these beaches, already within the municipality of El Prat de Llobregat. It is one of the most precious places in Europe for bird lovers, who can see species such as cormorants, martinets, herons and herons up close. In fact, it is a place of worship for ornithologists.
