The global population of the priolo, an endemic bird of São Miguel in the Azores, “remains stable, with around one thousand individuals,” according to this year’s Priolo Atlas, after the extinction risk had been removed, was announced today.
According to a statement from the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), exclusive to the island of São Miguel, in the early 21st century this bird “was on the brink of extinction,” but after two decades of conservation work, including the recovery of the laurel forest, it was possible “to reverse this scenario.”
SPEA adds that the results of the Priolo Atlas 2026 indicate that “the global priolo population (Pyrrhula murina) remains stable, at around 1,000 individuals.”
In June, more than 70 SPEA-BirdLife volunteers and technicians traversed the entire distribution area of the species, recording the birds at about 300 simultaneous counting points. They came from nine countries, and the volunteers received specialized training to ensure the quality of the data collected.
Cited in the press release, Tarso Costa, SPEA-BirdLife technician and coordinator of the V Priolo Atlas, emphasizes that “the participation of volunteers is fundamental” to monitor the entire population “in a single morning.”
“Their dedication enables us to collect essential data to track the priolo’s evolution and guide our conservation work,” the coordinator also notes.
Realizado de quatro em quatro anos, o Atlas permite acompanhar a população de priolo e a sua distribuição geográfica ao longo do tempo.
Realizado every four years, the Atlas allows monitoring the priolo population and its geographic distribution over time.
According to SPEA, the results confirm, for example, the regular presence of priolos in Pico Verde/Pico da Vara, an area on the island of São Miguel where the laurel forest was restored in 2004, under the LIFE Priolo project coordinated by SPEA-BirdLife.
On the ground, SPEA-BirdLife continues to develop conservation actions in this area through the LIFE IP Azores Natura project, coordinated by the Regional Government to preserve the favorable conditions for the species, according to SPEA.
The scientific organization notes that “the monitoring of distribution is essential, since habitat loss is one of the main threats to the priolo.”
“We know that habitat threat is the main problem for the species. So, if we see that it is losing area, that will be worrying,” comments Tarso Costa.
In addition to the Atlas, SPEA also uses complementary methods, such as annual monitoring and audio recorders that allow “detecting the presence of the birds automatically throughout the year.”
According to SPEA, in 2026 the volunteers of the Priolo Atlas also supported the installation of those devices, helping to continue data collection after they returned home.
The coordinator of the V Priolo Atlas emphasizes that it was possible to “save the priolo from extinction,” but warns that “the work is not finished.”
“Continuing to protect the laurel forest and to monitor this unique bird is essential to ensure its future, which is important for the people who live here,” Tarso Costa argues in the same press release.
SPEA also emphasizes that the conservation of the priolo has “benefits for local communities.”
In the case of the Priolo Lands, the work helped to boost the economy, encourage sustainable tourism and value the native forest, “showing that nature conservation can be an opportunity to improve people’s well-being,” he notes.
