Exceptional Year for Doñana: Outstanding Breeding of Waterfowl Reported in 2025
In the heart of Spain, the National Park of Doñana has witnessed a remarkable reproductive season for its aquatic birds, making 2025 the first wet year since 2010 with an accumulated rainfall of 674 l/m2. This year has seen the successful breeding of various species, including the common moorhen, common little bittern, common spoonbill, and critically endangered species such as the common pochard, marbled newt, common sandpiper, and common snipe.
However, the positive reproductive results cannot overshadow the gravity of the structural situation that threatens the integrity of the National Park. According to the NGO SEO/BirdLife, Doñana is immersed in a systemic deterioration process. The change in rainfall pattern has resulted in a dry autumn and the start of winter, affecting the flooding conditions for aquatic birds.
Extreme temperatures at the beginning of summer may create suitable conditions for the proliferation of toxic cyanobacteria in Doñana, posing a significant risk to the bird population. The common merganser population, for instance, has experienced a historic collapse, with only 2,533 individuals, compared to the usual 40,000 or 50,000 in previous decades.
The international wintering aquatic bird census in January 2025 recorded 240,531 individuals of 81 species, the third worst figure in the last 25 years. This concerning trend highlights the urgent need for action to stop the irreversible degradation threatening the National Park.
The Andalusian government is urged to comply with its Recovery and Conservation Plan for Wetland Birds, the commitments made to the European Union in the Red Natura 2000 Management Plan, and to adopt the recommendations of international organizations such as UNESCO, IUCN, and the Ramsar Convention. The Spanish Committee of Representatives of the People with Disabilities (CERMI) has even issued a recommendation to urge the Ramsar Convention and the EU to end the neglect of the Doñana nature reserve.
Responsible, sustainable, and science-based territorial management is crucial to ensure the future of Doñana. Climate change, overexploitation of aquifers, and intensive agricultural models have contributed to the decline of Europe's largest ecological reserve. Appropriate hydrological management is necessary to prevent the risk of mortality of aquatic birds.
Despite the positive reproductive results, environmental degradation processes continue to affect the National Park of Doñana. Carlos Davila, responsible for the office of the NGO in Doñana, warns that urgent action must be taken to halt these processes and secure the future of this vital ecosystem. The NGO SEO/BirdLife also emphasises that the positive data should not be seen as a permanent solution, but rather a temporary response to the exceptional nature of the rainfall that has occurred this year.
Spain currently only has the presence of the Sierra Nevada National Park in the IUCN's Green List. The expulsion of Doñana from this prestigious global standard in 2023 serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for action. It is hoped that the current reproductive upsurge will be a stepping stone towards a more sustainable and protected future for the National Park of Doñana.
