By Jose Luis Gallego, environmental communicator (@ecogallego) 

The conservation society SEO/Birdlife counts among its main tasks the study and protection of wild birds and their habitats and, since 1988, it has organized the “Bird of the Year” contest. With this campaign, the NGO hopes to generate awareness about the situation of the most threatened species of Spanish avifauna and promote measures for their protection.  

The voting process is open to the public, and participants can cast their ballot for one of the three candidates put forth by the organization. On this occasion, the species named “Bird of the Year 2025” is the wallcreeper, which received 37% of the almost 6,000 votes cast, beating the other two candidates: the bluethroat and the white-winged snowfinch.   

A wallcreeper perched on a rock,  photograph:  SEO/Birdlife 

The wallcreeper is an unmistakable bird. Small, not much larger than a sparrow, the wallcreeper has an exceptionally long bill compared to the size of its body. With its short legs and flat chest and abdomen, the bird seems attached to the crags and rocks that are inextricably linked to its identity. Wallcreepers spend their days scouring rock walls in search of their main food source: small invertebrates, which they catch amid the cracks, crevices, and ledges by inserting their long beak as though it were a stiletto.    

They have some of the most gorgeous plumage on the planet: ash-grey, except for the snow white throat which contrasts beautifully with their underside. They fly in a scattered, wave-like pattern, restlessly batting their wings like a giant butterfly. This is when our protagonist reveals the full splendour of its beauty, unfurling the bright red — garnet, almost crimson — of its wings, which, like the tail feathers, turn jet black towards the tips, with white markings on the flight feathers. 

A wallcreeper on a rock,  photograph:  SEO/Birdlife 

Concerning its distribution in Spain, at this time — and disregarding the odd individual that might appear elsewhere — the wallcreeper population is primarily found in two breeding areas: in the eastern mountains of the Cordillera Cantábrica, mainly in the Picos de Europa National Park; and in the rocky cliffs and crags of the Central Pyrenees and their foothills. During extremely cold winters, wallcreepers struggle to survive in their high-elevation habitats, often driving them down to warmer areas, which is why they can occasionally be spotted in medium to low elevations, even in central and coastal mountain areas. 

According to ornithologists who monitor the species, the number of breeding grounds ranges from 600 to 900, whereas the total population only consists of 1,200 to 1,800 individuals. With these numbers, the species’ survival looks bleak given the many threats it faces. 

Like all birds who live in high mountain areas, the effects of global warming brought on by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, especially those linked to the burning of fossil fuels, has become the primary threat to their existence.  Wallcreepers are very sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, making them one of the best bioindicators of climate change.   

A wallcreeper,  photograph:  SEO/Birdlife 

Given the degree of isolation and fragmentation of wallcreeper populations, SEO/Birdlife predicts that the area of distribution and number of individuals of this delicate species will most likely dwindle in the coming years as a result of accelerating climate change. 

In addition to climate change, wallcreeper communities face another threat: the planned expansions of ski stations and their associated infrastructure, for instance in Canal Roya in the Pyrenees around Huesca.  

The rise in leisure activities practiced in their territories is also having a negative impact on the biodiversity of mountain ecosystems.  The number of people regularly flocking to the high mountains — drawn by canyoning, rock climbing, and especially trail running races — is incompatible with the conservation of the fragile habitats that are the only home of the last wallcreepers. For this reason, we must appeal to organizers and participants, as well as the authorities granting permits and licences, to act responsibly. 

By naming the wallcreeper Bird of the Year 2025, the people at SEO/Birdlife want to draw attention to the species, providing the public with a better understanding of the bird, as well as the threats it faces and the measures that are needed to ensure its survival. We wish them the best of luck!