Follow Spain Investment Immigration and Spain Immigration Life: According to a report from the Spanish newspaper El Mundo on February 15, observing birds can significantly inspire bird enthusiasts to engage more in outdoor activities. This hobby originates from the Anglo-Saxon world — which has almost become a peculiar belief, prompting the membership of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) established by the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences in the UK to reach 1.2 million today.
Similarly, Spain has implemented various stringent measures nationwide to encourage more tourist attractions to launch wetland and nature reserve programs, aiming to make rare bird species more visible to the public. For birdwatching enthusiasts, being able to observe a greater variety of birds makes one a winner, even for an experienced enthusiast, their birdwatching focus often lacks a few "rare species."
Now, this game has become more complex, but to promote birdwatching activities to the public, even those who have never had the opportunity to observe the soaring Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) or the swimming White-headed Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) can achieve this through new technology. Sponsored by BBVA, SEO/BirdLife has launched a new smartphone application that allows people to learn about Spain's birds and their specific observation locations in a simple and intuitive manner. Once the software is released, identifying bird species by their calls or fleeting shadows will no longer be the exclusive domain of ornithologists.
At the launch event of the application held at BBVA's Madrid headquarters, Eduardo de Juan stated confidently, "Unless users are prohibited, this application has the capability to identify species." Additionally, BBVA's president, Rafael Pardo, also attended the launch event. The application is now available for free download from the Apple and Android online stores. It is the mobile version of the digital application "Encyclopedia of Spanish Birds" jointly launched by BBVA and SEO/BirdLife in 2008.
"This is the dream of ornithologists," de Juan explained, "the old model of novices being guided by experts to observe in the field is outdated. With this tool, not only can birds be identified by their feathers, habitats, or distribution, but users can also listen to audio of various bird calls and watch videos."
The entries for 363 common species in the application are labeled with bird names in all official languages of the country, except for English. However, perhaps the most innovative aspect, and the greatest threat to the old model of experienced ornithologists leading novices in field studies, is the inclusion of over 200 videos, numerous illustrations, photos, and maps, as well as comparisons of similar bird species.
Furthermore, the application provides information on 25 important birdwatching areas, such as Monfragüe, Doñana, or the Pyrenees. According to project planner José Antonio Montero, "Applying this guide plan to mobile phones represents significant progress; once you can determine a specific location, you can compare images, audio, and video resources with real sounds and appearances to draw conclusions."
