“Birds, Just Like Any Other University Students”: Celebrating Biodiversity Day on Campus

Zaragoza, May 21, 2025. Urban birds are excellent bioindicators of environmental quality. Their presence, diversity, and behavior reflect the ecological health of urban spaces and their ability to sustain thriving ecosystems. For over five years, the University Institute for Environmental Sciences of Aragón (IUCA), in collaboration with SEO/BirdLife, has been monitoring urban bird populations on university campuses, recognized as green and shared community spaces.

To mark International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated every May 22 and promoted by the United Nations, IUCA launches the campaign “Birds, Just Like Any Other University Students”, a science communication initiative based on an academic project developed in the Degree in Geography and Spatial Planning at the University of Zaragoza.

This work, focused on environmental education and awareness, was created by Sara Cabello Alcalá, a third-year student of Geography and Spatial Planning at the University of Valladolid, during her SICUE mobility stay at the University of Zaragoza. The project was supervised by Miguel Ángel Saz Sánchez, IUCA’s Deputy Director and professor of Environmental Geography, and Álvaro Tena Pagán, co-coordinator of the course.

Sara Cabello (center), author of the campaign, with her professors Miguel Ángel Saz and Álvaro Tena, in front of the Faculty of Arts screen displaying the campaign.

The campaign — designed “by students, for students” — is based on the Urban Bird Monitoring Program, jointly developed by SEO/BirdLife and IUCA since 2020. The 6 visual panels will be displayed on the Faculty of Arts digital screen for two weeks, from May 22 to June 5, coinciding with World Environment Day.

Since its inception, this initiative has recorded over 8,000 birds and 83 different species on the university campuses of Zaragoza, Huesca, and Teruel. Among the most common species are the wood pigeon, house sparrow, spotless starling, and rock dove. However, more vulnerable species such as the common swift and house martin have also been documented — their population declines have led to direct conservation actions like installing nesting boxes on university buildings.

Beyond scientific monitoring, this project has promoted outreach and environmental education activities, including open lectures, educational materials, and reports — reinforcing a growing interest and care for birds within the university community.