Helping birds

Check that the bird really cannot fly: place it on a high place, like a windowsill, off which it can launch downwards; never throw the bird in the air!
If the swift is too weak to fly, keep it in a half-open, aired box (plastic or cardboard), at least the size of a shoebox, lined with absorbent paper. Make every effort to prevent the bird from dirtying its feathers on the droppings; clean the box regularly while the bird is with you.
Contact SEPNA (or PSP if you are in Lisbon) and follow their directions.
If you cannot contact the relevant authorities, try contacting the nearest animal recovery centre.
Never feed the swift.

How to make your garden bird-friendly

All gardens have wildlife, but there are a few tips that will help you to make it even more welcoming. Here are our tips:

Do not apply pesticides or herbicides
Make food available, especially during very cold winters
Make water available in birdbaths or bowls where birds can drink and bathe on hot days
Never remove or damage swallow nests. If you do not want them, try to prevent them from breeding in the same place the following year, by putting plastic strips or twine along the entire length of the eaves before the birds arrive.
Create cavities in your roof where birds such as swifts and sparrows can breed
Place nest boxes in less exposed areas, preferentially simple models which are made of natural materials, such as wood or cork. You can find some models on the SPEA shop.
Avoid cutting trees, hedges and shrubs during spring
Increase the vegetation diversity by planting different aromatic plants, plants with intense flowering or that produce fruits or seeds, fruit trees and shrubs; whenever possible, avoid potentially invasive species such as the Sweet Pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum)
Increase the structural diversity of your garden, by maintaining spontaneous vegetation strips or uncut grass, alternating dense vegetation areas with clearings

Note: Birdfeeders, birdbaths and nest boxes must be placed out of reach of predators, especially cats.

Someone is destroying swallow nests – is this legal?

Property owners can remove swallow and housemartin nests if they have a permit from the Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e Florestas (ICNF), which will state the time of year they can be removed. Save for exceptional circumstances, this will always be outside the breeding season.

Once swallows start building nests and rearing chicks, it is illegal to remove the nests. If you know of someone who wants to remove swallow nests, we suggest you try to dissuade them first. You can tell them that in order to prevent the area underneath the nests getting soiled, they can install a sort of gutter underneath the nests. You can also tell them that swallows and housemartins are very helpful at fighting pests: they eat an enormous amount of insects, especially the flies and mosquitoes which can ruin a beautiful summer night.

If these arguments are not enough, or if you only find out after the fact, contact the Serviço de Proteção da Natureza e Ambiente (SEPNA – GNR) by phone to 808 200 520 so they can act immediately. You can also report it by email: sepna@sepna.pt.

I found a baby bird on the ground. What should I do?

You’ve found a chick on the ground and think it is in danger. This happens very often. But be aware that in trying to help you may put it in danger. In some species (ex: blackbird, robin, tawny owl) it is normal for the chicks to leave the nest before they are completely developed. The parents keep feeding these fledglings even if they are on the ground.

First of all, check if the chick has all its feathers fully formed. This is an important indicator to see if it fledged by itself – and, even if it didn’t, if it is able to survive outside the nest, with its parents’ help. In these cases, if you see the nest nearby, leave the fledgling were you found it, or in a nearby place that is high and safe, as the parents will certainly hear it and will end up bringing it back to the nest or feeding it as soon as they feel safe to do so. If you see the fledgling goes for too long without being fed, and shows signs of weakness or injury; if you cannot find the nest; if you cannot find the parents or if it is in a very busy place here the fledgling is at risk, contact the nearest Wildlife Rescue Centre.

Do not keep a wild bird in captivity, it is punishable by law.

Seabird on the ground

In coastal areas, and specially on the Azores and Madeira islands, it is frequent to find marine birds such as the Cory’s shearwater to be victims of glare from public lighting at night

If you find a marine bird with locomotion problems, you should proceed in this manner:

Approach slowly and cover the bird with a cloth, towel or jacket; watch out for the beak
Pick up the bird and place it in a cardboard box with holes
Contact SEPNA to inform them of the situation (if you’re in mainland Portugal) or deliver the bird to the nearest Wildlife Recovery Centre. If none of this is possible, and the bird is not injured, go to a dimly lit beach at night and release it by placing the box on the ground near the sea.

If you find an animal that has washed up ashore, please fill in this form