22 TO 24 NOVEMBER 2025
17th Iberian Congress on Harriers (Congreso Ibérico de Aguiluchos)
The Iberian Congress on Harriers (Congreso Ibérico de Aguiluchos), the most prestigious Iberian event dedicated to harriers, is being held for the second time in Portugal, in its seventeenth edition. Organised by Palombar - Conservação da Natureza e do Património Rural, in collaboration with the Iberian Harriers Group (GIA), it will take place at the Multipurpose Pavilion in Miranda do Douro, in the district of Bragança, between 22 and 24 November 2024.
This year, the event is part of the LIFE SOS Pygargus project, which will bring together conservationists, scientists and farmers to save the Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) from extinction. The project has been approved by the European Union's LIFE Programme and has a total budget of almost €11 million. It will be implemented between 2024 and 2030. This project aims to be an example of cross-border cooperation for the conservation of this species and involves 17 partners, including non-governmental organisations, public administration and farmers' associations from Portugal and Spain.
This year, the event is part of the LIFE SOS Pygargus project, which will bring together conservationists, scientists and farmers to save the Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) from extinction. The project has been approved by the European Union's LIFE Programme and has a total budget of almost €11 million. It will be implemented between 2024 and 2030. This project aims to be an example of cross-border cooperation for the conservation of this species and involves 17 partners, including non-governmental organisations, public administration and farmers' associations from Portugal and Spain.
Programme
22 NOVEMBER
Friday
15:00 Reception of participants and distribution of documentation
15:30 OPENING SESSION
José Pereira | President of Palombar
Xabier Vázquez Pumariño | President of the Iberian Harrier Group
Sandra Sarmento | Regional Director for Nature Conservation and Forests of the North, ICNF
Helena Barril | Mayor of Miranda do Douro
PLENARY SESSION
16:15 LIFE SOS Pygargus – Urgent conservation actions to sustain Portuguese and transborder populations of the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus)
José Pereira | Palombar
16:30 Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) in Portugal: Population and conservation issues.
João Paulo Silva | BIOPOLIS-CIBIO
17:00 Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) and Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) in Spain: Conservation status review.
Beatriz Arroyo | Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)
17:30 Debate
18:00 Coffee break
18:30 Presentation and screening of feature film
URPA, un glop per salvar l’arpella cendrosa. Toni Llobet. Catalonia, Spain, 2023. 45’
19:30 Cultural moment, aperitif, and social gathering
21:30 Visit to the city of Miranda do Douro (30 places)
23 NOVEMBER
Saturday
8:30 Long presentations
9:50 PLENARY SESSION
Research and protection of the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) throughout the annual cycle.
Almut Schlaich | Grauwe Kiekendief – Kenniscentrum Akkervogels
10:30 Coffee break
11:00 Long presentations
12:20 PLENARY SESSION
Spring climatology and breeding success/failure of the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) in La Serena (Extremadura).
Manuel Calderón Carrasco | Asociación Naturalista de Amigos de La Serena (ANSER)
13:00 Lunch break (not included)
15:00 Short presentations
WORKSHOP Use of drones and new technological methodologies in conservation.
José María de Colsa | GREFA and Salvador Castillo Ortega | Soul Natura
16:00 Coffee break
17:00 Presentation and screening of short film
Aguiluchos. Una vida en las estepas cerealistas. Alberto Pantolja, Spain, 2023. 19’
17:30 PLENARY SESSION
A long-distance traveller: spatial ecology of the Spanish Montagu’s harrier population.
Sara Puche | Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)
The Harrier Iberian Group: trajectory and challenges.
Xabier Vázquez Pumariño and Silvia Majo | Harrier Iberian Group
18:25 WORKING GROUPS
Themes:
– Education and awareness
– Telemetry and tagging
19:05 Presentation of working group outcomes
Harrier Iberian Group
19:20 Roundtable and congress conclusions
20:00 Closing session
20:30 Social dinner (not included/€25 per person)
24 NOVEMBER
Sunday
08:30 – 13:00
FIELD VISIT – Discovering the Planalto Mirandês, habitat of Circus pygargus
Registration required
Join us on a unique field visit to the Planalto Mirandês, habitat of the Circus pygargus, a species that finds its ideal environment in the region’s vast open fields and plains. We will explore renewable energy infrastructures that directly affect this habitat by reducing the available area for the species. We will address the main threats and conservation challenges facing this emblematic bird and discuss mitigation and ecosystem-preservation measures.
During the visit, we will also explore the region, stopping at some of the most impressive viewpoints of the International Douro Natural Park. This protected area, together with the adjacent Arribes del Duero Natural Park in Spain, offers breathtaking landscapes with steep cliffs, deep rivers, and unique biodiversity.
The Planalto Mirandês, where much of the visit will take place, is a region of rich ecological and cultural value. Located in northeastern Portugal, it is characterised by rolling terrain, agro-silvo-pastoral habitats, and centuries-old traditions that make it one of the most distinctive and authentic areas in the country.
Join us for an unforgettable experience that combines wildlife observation, reflection on the conservation of Circus pygargus, and the discovery of striking landscapes!
Friday
15:00 Reception of participants and distribution of documentation
15:30 OPENING SESSION
José Pereira | President of Palombar
Xabier Vázquez Pumariño | President of the Iberian Harrier Group
Sandra Sarmento | Regional Director for Nature Conservation and Forests of the North, ICNF
Helena Barril | Mayor of Miranda do Douro
PLENARY SESSION
16:15 LIFE SOS Pygargus – Urgent conservation actions to sustain Portuguese and transborder populations of the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus)
José Pereira | Palombar
16:30 Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) in Portugal: Population and conservation issues.
João Paulo Silva | BIOPOLIS-CIBIO
17:00 Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) and Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) in Spain: Conservation status review.
Beatriz Arroyo | Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)
17:30 Debate
18:00 Coffee break
18:30 Presentation and screening of feature film
URPA, un glop per salvar l’arpella cendrosa. Toni Llobet. Catalonia, Spain, 2023. 45’
19:30 Cultural moment, aperitif, and social gathering
21:30 Visit to the city of Miranda do Douro (30 places)
23 NOVEMBER
Saturday
8:30 Long presentations
9:50 PLENARY SESSION
Research and protection of the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) throughout the annual cycle.
Almut Schlaich | Grauwe Kiekendief – Kenniscentrum Akkervogels
10:30 Coffee break
11:00 Long presentations
12:20 PLENARY SESSION
Spring climatology and breeding success/failure of the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) in La Serena (Extremadura).
Manuel Calderón Carrasco | Asociación Naturalista de Amigos de La Serena (ANSER)
13:00 Lunch break (not included)
15:00 Short presentations
WORKSHOP Use of drones and new technological methodologies in conservation.
José María de Colsa | GREFA and Salvador Castillo Ortega | Soul Natura
16:00 Coffee break
17:00 Presentation and screening of short film
Aguiluchos. Una vida en las estepas cerealistas. Alberto Pantolja, Spain, 2023. 19’
17:30 PLENARY SESSION
A long-distance traveller: spatial ecology of the Spanish Montagu’s harrier population.
Sara Puche | Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)
The Harrier Iberian Group: trajectory and challenges.
Xabier Vázquez Pumariño and Silvia Majo | Harrier Iberian Group
18:25 WORKING GROUPS
Themes:
– Education and awareness
– Telemetry and tagging
19:05 Presentation of working group outcomes
Harrier Iberian Group
19:20 Roundtable and congress conclusions
20:00 Closing session
20:30 Social dinner (not included/€25 per person)
24 NOVEMBER
Sunday
08:30 – 13:00
FIELD VISIT – Discovering the Planalto Mirandês, habitat of Circus pygargus
Registration required
Join us on a unique field visit to the Planalto Mirandês, habitat of the Circus pygargus, a species that finds its ideal environment in the region’s vast open fields and plains. We will explore renewable energy infrastructures that directly affect this habitat by reducing the available area for the species. We will address the main threats and conservation challenges facing this emblematic bird and discuss mitigation and ecosystem-preservation measures.
During the visit, we will also explore the region, stopping at some of the most impressive viewpoints of the International Douro Natural Park. This protected area, together with the adjacent Arribes del Duero Natural Park in Spain, offers breathtaking landscapes with steep cliffs, deep rivers, and unique biodiversity.
The Planalto Mirandês, where much of the visit will take place, is a region of rich ecological and cultural value. Located in northeastern Portugal, it is characterised by rolling terrain, agro-silvo-pastoral habitats, and centuries-old traditions that make it one of the most distinctive and authentic areas in the country.
Join us for an unforgettable experience that combines wildlife observation, reflection on the conservation of Circus pygargus, and the discovery of striking landscapes!
Guest speakers
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Almut SchlaichShe is a researcher at the Dutch Montagu’s Harrier Foundation, based in the Netherlands. Upon joining the foundation in 2010, she became fascinated by the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) and has since studied the species not only during the breeding season, but also in its stopover areas in eastern Morocco and wintering grounds in West Africa. In 2019, she completed her PhD research covering the entire annual cycle of the species. After recovering from burnout, Almut is currently focusing on research in the Montagu's harrier's stopover and wintering areas.
Presentation
Research and protection of the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) throughout the annual cycle.
Beatriz Arroyo López
Presentation
Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) and Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) in Spain: Conservation status review.
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João Paulo SilvaHe is a researcher at BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO - Centre for Research in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources at the University of Porto, focusing mainly on the ecology and conservation biology of endangered steppe birds. He has promoted monitoring and GPS tracking programmes for endangered species to understand conservation issues and outline management measures.
Presentation
Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) in Portugal: Population and conservation issues.
Manuel Calderón CarrascoPresident of the Naturalist Association of La Serena (ANSER) and the Extremaduran Group of Harriers, in Spain. He is a naturalist and photographer. Author of books such as "Harriers. Masters of the Air", "Wild Birds. Human Environment", "Birds of the Extremadura Plain" and stories such as "The Life of Cartucho, the Little Eagle" and "Grumi, the Heron who Discovered who he was".
Presentation
Spring climatology and breeding success/failure of the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) in La Serena (Extremadura).
Sara Puche GómezPhD student in Movement Ecology at the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM) in Spain. She graduated in Biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid and completed her Master's Degree in Wildlife Management at the University of Murcia. She currently works at the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research, as part of the Ecology and Wildlife Management Group, where she is developing her doctoral thesis on the spatial ecology of the Montagu's harrier, under the supervision of Beatriz Arroyo López.
Presentation
A long-distance traveller: spatial ecology of the Spanish population of Montagu’s harrier.
Registration
REGISTRATION OPTIONS
OPTION 1 | Congress attendance without accommodation
€40
Palombar members €30*
LIFE SOS Pygargus project partners €30**
Includes:
– Congress attendance
– Documentation
– Congress T-shirt
– Coffee breaks
– Friday aperitif (22 November)
– Guided visit to Miranda do Douro (22 November, 21:30) – registration required
– Field trip on 24 November – registration required
OPTION 2 | Congress attendance with accommodation in double room
€50
Palombar members €40*
Project partners €40**
Includes Option 1 +:
– Two nights’ accommodation (22 & 23 Nov) at the Barrocal do Douro Youth Reception Centre (double rooms with private bathroom)
OPTION 3 | Congress attendance with accommodation in triple room
€55
Palombar members €45*
Project partners €45**
Includes Option 1 +:
– Two nights’ accommodation (22 & 23 Nov) at the Malhadas Training Centre (triple rooms, shared bathroom)
Note: The congress dinner on Saturday 23 November at 20:30 is not included (€25). If you wish to attend, please select the option on the registration form.
OPTION 1 | Congress attendance without accommodation
€40
Palombar members €30*
LIFE SOS Pygargus project partners €30**
Includes:
– Congress attendance
– Documentation
– Congress T-shirt
– Coffee breaks
– Friday aperitif (22 November)
– Guided visit to Miranda do Douro (22 November, 21:30) – registration required
– Field trip on 24 November – registration required
OPTION 2 | Congress attendance with accommodation in double room
€50
Palombar members €40*
Project partners €40**
Includes Option 1 +:
– Two nights’ accommodation (22 & 23 Nov) at the Barrocal do Douro Youth Reception Centre (double rooms with private bathroom)
OPTION 3 | Congress attendance with accommodation in triple room
€55
Palombar members €45*
Project partners €45**
Includes Option 1 +:
– Two nights’ accommodation (22 & 23 Nov) at the Malhadas Training Centre (triple rooms, shared bathroom)
* Discount applicable to members with up-to-date membership fees.
** Discount price for two participants per partner organisation.
Note: The congress dinner on Saturday 23 November at 20:30 is not included (€25). If you wish to attend, please select the option on the registration form.
Abstract submission
Take part in the 17th Iberian Harrier Congress with a long or short oral presentation.
Submit the abstract of your presentation.
GUIDELINES
LONG PRESENTATION
15 MINUTES
The work and/or studies presented must address harrier conservation and fall within the following main themes:
Duration: 15 minutes
Language: Portuguese, Spanish, or English
Size: Up to 20 slides (minimum font size of 18 pt for main text; recommended 24 pt to ensure readability at a distance)
SHORT PRESENTATION
5 MINUTES
The work presented must focus on harrier censuses and/or nest protection and rescue campaigns, and should be structured according to the following topics:
Duration: 5 minutes
Language: Portuguese, Spanish, or English
Size: Up to 5 slides (minimum font size of 18 pt for main text; recommended 24 pt for better readability)
SUBMIT YOUR PRESENTATION ABSTRACT
For submission purposes, you must first complete the Word template available below and then upload it through this FORM.
The abstract must not exceed 300 words and should succinctly indicate the objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions of the work and/or study to be presented. It must be submitted by 1 November 2024. The abstract will be evaluated by the Congress Scientific Committee.
Authors will receive notification of acceptance by 8 November 2024. From that moment, they will have ten days to complete their registration for the congress and confirm their presentation, if they have not done so already.
For any queries, you may contact us at: congresoibericoaguiluchos@palombar.pt
Submit the abstract of your presentation.
GUIDELINES
LONG PRESENTATION
15 MINUTES
The work and/or studies presented must address harrier conservation and fall within the following main themes:
- Monitoring and conservation of harrier populations;
- Harrier ecology and behaviour;
- Practical conservation actions for harriers;
- Habitat management, maintenance of dispersal corridors, and improvement of connectivity conditions;
- Climate change and its effects on harrier conservation;
- European policies (Common Agricultural Policy, Nature Restoration Law) relating to harrier conservation;
- Social dimensions of harrier conservation, work with farmers and other stakeholders;
- The role of communication, environmental education, and citizen science in harrier conservation.
Duration: 15 minutes
Language: Portuguese, Spanish, or English
Size: Up to 20 slides (minimum font size of 18 pt for main text; recommended 24 pt to ensure readability at a distance)
SHORT PRESENTATION
5 MINUTES
The work presented must focus on harrier censuses and/or nest protection and rescue campaigns, and should be structured according to the following topics:
- Territorial scope: parish, municipality, and district;
- Census results: data from previous years (if available); number of pairs recorded, productivity, and conclusions;
- Nest protection and rescue campaigns: nests intervened and actions carried out (protected nests, rescued chicks and eggs, delayed harvesting, etc.), and conclusions.
Duration: 5 minutes
Language: Portuguese, Spanish, or English
Size: Up to 5 slides (minimum font size of 18 pt for main text; recommended 24 pt for better readability)
SUBMIT YOUR PRESENTATION ABSTRACT
For submission purposes, you must first complete the Word template available below and then upload it through this FORM.
The abstract must not exceed 300 words and should succinctly indicate the objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions of the work and/or study to be presented. It must be submitted by 1 November 2024. The abstract will be evaluated by the Congress Scientific Committee.
Authors will receive notification of acceptance by 8 November 2024. From that moment, they will have ten days to complete their registration for the congress and confirm their presentation, if they have not done so already.
For any queries, you may contact us at: congresoibericoaguiluchos@palombar.pt
Scientific committee
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Ana Teresa MarquesResearcher at BIOPOLIS-CIBIO/University of Porto, specialising in bird ecology and conservation. Her research has focused on the interaction between birdlife and human activities, particularly those arising from agricultural activities and infrastructure.
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João Paulo SilvaResearcher at BIOPOLIS-CIBIO/University of Porto, focusing mainly on the ecology and conservation biology of endangered steppe birds. He has promoted monitoring and GPS tracking programmes for endangered species to understand conservation issues and outline management measures.
José Fernando Garcés ToledanoFounding member of GREFA (Grupo de Rehabilitacíon de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat) and currently secretary-general of the organisation. Coordinator of GREFA's harrier conservation campaign since 1996. Director of the project ‘Support Service for the Implementation of Quantitative, Quantifiable and Evaluable Actions for the Conservation of the Montagu's harrier in Agricultural Environments’, funded by the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) for the years 2023-2024. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Harrier Iberian Group.
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José PereiraHolds a degree in Biology from the University of Aveiro and also has academic training in the areas of Forest Resource Engineering, Organic Agriculture and Management of Social Economy Organisations. He is a nature conservation technician and is responsible for monitoring public policies, managing and coordinating projects and organising technical and scientific events. He is currently a member and chair of the Board of Palombar and of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Confederation of Environmental Protection Associations (CPADA).
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Xabier Vázquez PumariñoBiologist from the University of León and Master's degree in Biodiversity and Conservation of the Natural Environment from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. He is currently president of the Harrier Iberian Group. He has worked on monitoring the genus Circus in Galicia and drew up its conservation plan (2008), as well as on different aspects of its biology, especially melanism in Circus pygargus.
Conference venue
Multi-purpose Pavilion of Miranda do Douro
Estrada Nacional EN 218, 5210, Miranda do Douro (Bragança, Portugal)
Estrada Nacional EN 218, 5210, Miranda do Douro (Bragança, Portugal)
