Birdwatching as a New Tourist Activity in El Hierro Geopark
Bird watching is one of the most popular ways of getting close to nature, laying the foundations for what is now known as Birdwatching or Birding, nowadays a niche within ecotourism. The Canary Islands are an exceptional centre for ornithological tourism, standing out for the presence of six endemic...
| Autores: | , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | capítulo de libro |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2023 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha |
| Repositorio: | RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ruidera.uclm.es:10578/41307 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-07289-5_9 https://hdl.handle.net/10578/41307 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Birds Birdwatching Conservation Ecotourism El Hierro |
| Sumario: | Bird watching is one of the most popular ways of getting close to nature, laying the foundations for what is now known as Birdwatching or Birding, nowadays a niche within ecotourism. The Canary Islands are an exceptional centre for ornithological tourism, standing out for the presence of six endemic species that are exclusive worldwide. In this context, the island of El Hierro is the least visited island for bird watching in the Canary Islands archipelago, even though it has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve and Geopark. This paper aims to lay the foundations for the development of ornithological tourism on the island of El Hierro, following the methodology proposed by Gosálvez Rey (El Valle de Alcudia y Sierra Madrona, 2009), Puhakka et al. (PLoS One 6, 2011) and the Ornithological Tourism Strategy for the Canary Islands (SEO/Birdlife in Estrategia de Turismo Ornitológico para la Macaronesia, 2016). A geographical analysis of the diversity of species is addressed, the most suitable trails and points for birdwatching are indicated and the mechanisms for promoting this tourist activity are outlined. The island of El Hierro has 22 species and subspecies of birds of interest for birdwatching, the best areas for birdwatching being the Natura 2000 sites (EU) and Birdlife Internationals IBAs. The island of El Hierro is served by a network of paths provided by the Cabildo de El Hierro and the Spanish governments Caminos Naturales programme, complemented by a set of fourteen lookout that serve as strategic points for bird watching. The challenge for the island of El Hierro will be to develop birdwatching that respects and even enhances natural values, avoiding endangering the species observed and their habitats. |
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