Positive visitor numbers in 2020, despite the Pandemic

2020 was a very unusual year due to the pandemic. There were confinements, restrictions and an almost total absence of foreigners.

The type of visitors can be divided into into two categories: those who were able to actually come to the Urdaibai Bird Center and those who became faithful followers of the nature in Urdaibai through the internet.

25,092 people were lucky enough to be able to come to the Center. Visitors or families who followed us online numbered 290,114.

The year began with an interesting flow of visitors but this stopped suddenly in March due to Covid-19. During confinement, thousands of people from all over the State became avid viewers of The Bird Center´s live broadcasts on the Urdaibai marshes. The Biosphere Reserve obtained an incredible amount of publicity outside the Basque Country through these broadcasts.

The live programmes also had an incredible impact on the number of visitors who came to the Urdaibai Bird Center in July and August. The figures were absolutely astonishing. There was a 10% increase on numbers from the previous year, something remarkable in a summer affected by COVID -19.

In autumn and winter, restrictions caused another fall in visitor numbers, although the figures for viewers of the live broadcasts remained positive.

In 2020 figures for the most important visitors to this haven for biodiversity did not disappoint. Almost 250 different species of bird filled Urdaibai with colosr: Ospreys, bitterns, flamingos and many more. Migratory journeys between sub-Saharan Africa and the Arctic continued and stopovers in the small sanctuary of Urdaibai did not cease. Despite the absence of humans, nature continues its course