We have conservation in our hearts and we care about the things you care about! That is why we continually link our ecotourism to conservation and wider sustainable societal gains wherever possible.
The Inglorious Bustards have a challenge! As conservationists, we are only too aware of the environmental impact of the activities associated with our business. We want to share with you the joy of watching wildlife all along the East Atlantic Flyway, but in doing so we inevitably encourage consumption of the planet’s resources. Our challenge as a responsible ecotourism operator is to ensure that our activities can be channelled into a positive outcome for the environment. We want to make sure that, when you travel with us, you´ll be benefitting, not exploiting the wildlife we see together. On our trips, eco-tourism is a promise, not an oxymoron.
We will be continually adding new connections, networks and partners to this page as we find new and exciting ways of ensuring conservation remains at the very heart of everything we do. We will continually share expertise with other individuals and organisations to achieve real measurable benefits for nature as part of our #FlywayPromise.
Inglorious Bustards founded the not-for-profit Flyway Birding Association to facilitate projects that link the East Atlantic Flyway, where our work and the wealth of expertise that forms our FlywayBirding team can make a real, measurable and positive outcome for migratory birds and their habitats, other species and taxa, and local communities.
Inglorious Bustards ecotourism directly supports, funds and offers longevity and sustainability of conservation through our Flyway Birding Association projects.
Inglorious Bustards are sustainable award winners!
Inglorious Bustards is the only sustainable and ethical award winning nature tourism company in The Straits of Gibraltar – 2018, 2019, 2020 and now 2021!
We are a Founding Partner and Signatory of Terra Incognita’s Ethical Ecotourism Code of Conduct. This means that we commit ethical ecotourism which creates win-win solutions for wildlife, local communities and the landscapes they share.
We’re more than just a nature tour company. We care about the wildlife we showcase, the local communities we visit and the opportunities for education through exploration. That’s why we’re excited to announce that we’re a Top Ethical Birding Ecotour 2018, 2019, 2020 and now 2021!
The Top Ethical Birding Ecotours is a unique list generated by a global community of travellers, bloggers, conservationists, tour guides, birders and ecotourism operators. Curated by Terra Incognita – a social enterprise seeking to promote the best examples of ethical ecotourism worldwide – we’re part of a group of 85 incredible birding tours from across the globe.
Working together, achieving more….
The Migres Foundation are a private non-profit, scientific and cultural foundation, oriented to the preservation and enhancement of natural heritage in The Straits of Gibraltar.
They perform research and awareness programs, develop advanced training activities and environmental education, organise conferences and all kinds of national and international meetings, and encourage activities promoting sustainable local development and Nature tourism in general.
Fundación Migres manages a long-term monitoring program of bird migration through The Straits of Gibraltar based on standardised constant-effort protocols. Every year they run daily migration counts, always using the same observatories and schedule.
Based on this information, they are able to calculate abundance indices that reflect the actual number of birds on migration, allowing them to monitor changes in their populations and migratory patterns. The origin of the program dates back to 1997 (soaring birds) and 2001 (seabirds), and is currently one of the greatest sustained efforts for monitoring migratory birds in Europe.
We work closely with Fundación Migres assisting with monitoring, fundraising and promotional activities using our wealth of experience gained whilst working for the RSPB – as well as volunteering for the count whenever we possibly can!
In 2025 we will expand our support for tagging of vagrant African Vultures in Morocco as well as continued work here in Spain with Fundación Migres. We will be working alongside colleagues in Morocco at the CRV Jbel Moussa (Centre de Réhabilitation des Vautours).
Tagging and studying the movements of a Critically Endangered and increasingly vagrant African Vulture species.
We work alongside the Conservation Without Borders (CWB) team helping to tell the story of migration and the importance of conservation along the flyway.
We will continue when required to assist with logistics, filming and research along the East Atlantic Flyway for Conservation Without Borders. Assisting in creating networks to connect individuals, communities, businesses and government with frontline conservation and climate action, attracting resources and support.
CWB plan and execute expeditions which follow the paths of migratory species, crossing the lines of both geographical and political borders. By displaying the flyway from air, land, and sea in a multimedia format, CWB hope to highlight the importance of collective action in the fight against climate change and biodiversity collapse.
Simon and Sacha brought this flyway story to life during the Flight of the Osprey story!
Based at Kotu Creek, near Brufut, The Gambia Birdwatchers Association (GBWA) was established in 2007. It provides a headquarters for the area’s bird guides, trains the next generation of ornithologists, and carries out excellent project-based conservation work, including utilising local volunteers in the restoration of mangrove swamp habitat – a project we are proud to be funding annually since 2018.
We continue working with local conservationists and guides on new sustainability practices to reduce and eliminate the use of single use plastics on tours such as unnecessary single use plastic water bottles.
We are funding beach clean-ups in the area including Kotu Creek where single use plastic is causing huge issues for nature, the environment and people. We are providing interpretation and community outreach so people can better understand the issues and help safeguard their future.
In The Gambia, many important forests are community-owned, and GBWA is instrumental in setting up community reserves, training bird guides in the villages and enabling them to benefit from the preservation of forest habitat through well-thought-out ecotourism. Inglorious Bustards work closely with GBWA, giving project advice and consultation and supporting their high quality, objective-led work.
We are delighted to financially support the publication of Las rapaces diurnas de la provincia de Cádiz y el peñón de Gibraltar.
This superb book, edited by Fundacion Migres´ Carlos Torralvo, Jaime Nieto and Chúss Fernández has been two years in the making by a large group of expert ornithologists, photographers, naturalists and designers. It attempts to capture all the existing knowledge of this group of birds from the last two decades. Basic aspects such as their status, habitat, distribution, population, reproduction, phenology, threats and conservation have been described concisely and clearly. The work is illustrated with distribution maps, graphs and captivating photographs, all unified with a careful layout, simple and easy to read.
The final objective of the book is to continue advancing our knowledge of these birds of prey in order to make responsible decisions that favour their conservation and available to buy here
“The fork is the most powerful tool for conservation”
We recognise the huge influence of dietary choice and food production methods on habitat degradation and carbon emissions, often outweighing the costs of travel itself. In 2018, we introduced a “meat-free day” to each of our tours, reducing carbon emissions from food consumed per person by around 15%. We have developed a detailed food procurement policy whereby we can audit our own catering across various sustainability criteria, including carbon emissions. We will use this to plan, measure and implement reduction strategies and targets.
Additionally we have helped to plan and promote vegetarian and vegan-only tours through our partners at Naturetrek. With outstanding sustainable meat-free menu from the kitchens of our friends and award-winning chefs.
Our work over decades for the RSPB attempting to reverse the fortunes of European farmland wildlife has made us recognise the power of food choice and how it can affect the plight of declining species. This is why we teamed up with our accommodation providers to focus on sustainable food choices.
On our trips you can enjoy sustainably-sourced produce from organic, wildlife-friendly farms and huertas here in The Straits. We work in partnership to offer visitors an experience around food choice and how positive change can help our wildlife and the wider environment.
Marisma 21 is an organisation devoted to the restoration of the salt marshes in the Bay of Cadiz, on the south-western coast of Spain. They use artisanal salt production methods to aid the recovery and revitalisation of this important ecological area. This not only ensures the maintenance of the macro-flora in the salt pans – an important food source for migratory waders – but also enhances the local environment for aquatic salt-loving species.
This sympathetic management and hand-harvesting of the pans uses methods that have been in use since Roman and Phoenician times. It generates multiple benefits for wildlife, making it truly fair to nature. It also brings employment to the area in the form of salt workers and nature tourism.
The Inglorious Bustards will continue to promote nature-friendly salt products to clients (even including it in our legendary picnics!) and link salt production to eco-tourism wherever possible through the development of new and exciting tours.
Thinking globally and acting locally
We believe that the first step to responsible ecotourism is eliminating any negative effects that our travel could potentially have on our surroundings. During our tours, we work hard to minimise food and packaging waste. We ask our clients to bring their own water bottles which are filled from taps or potable mountain springs. In countries outside the EU where tap water is not drinkable, we buy large containers and decant into personal water bottles to reduce plastic waste.
In-country, we use modern, fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce emissions. We know our areas well, so we are also able to apply careful route-planning to minimise driving distances between sites.
We choose our accommodation providers carefully to be small, locally-owned and eco-conscious, and work with them to continually evolve their own eco-credentials.
We continually research and offer advice guests on ways of arriving to our trip destination efficiently, and by land if possible. Our focus on hosting trips along the glorious East Atlantic Flyway means that we are able to arrive at 90% of our tour destinations to meet you without boarding a flight ourselves.
What we can’t eliminate, we balance
Inglorious Bustards have pledged to balance unavoidable carbon emissions through World Land Trust‘s (WLT) Carbon Balanced Programme.
Unlike some carbon-offsetting schemes, this is not simply a case of absolving guilt by shoving some trees in an ill-thought-out location! WLT funds the purchase or lease of threatened land to create nature reserves, protecting both habitats and their wildlife. By protecting and restoring threatened forest in key areas of conservation importance, CO₂ emissions are prevented and carbon storage enhanced. To make projects like this work, this fore-sighted organisation includes, rather than excludes local communities. It funds partner NGOs to employ local people as reserve rangers, sustainably managing some of the world’s most threatened habitats and the animals found within them.
We balance all the CO₂ emissions associated with any food, energy, all in travel and accommodation associated with our tours – everything! Annually, we offset our CO₂, funds for which went directly to acquiring and preserving threatened forest habitat. We also encourage our guests to offset your own holiday travel through WLT, which can be done directly through our booking form, allowing you to offset as you book your trip!
Setting our standards
In July 2020, Niki completed the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)´s training course in Sustainable Tourism delivery and is now a member. This excellent learning programme gives a full understanding of GSTC´s Sustainability Criteria and how to apply them appropriately to a tourism business or organisation of any size or scope.
Truly sustainable, responsible ecotourism is essential in supporting local economies and preventing the destruction of habitats that not only host much of the world´s biodiversity but provide essential ecosystem service functions such as carbon sequestration. It thereby provides overall net benefit to biodiversity conservation and the wider environment.
The criteria and themes of sustainable tourism are wide-reaching, covering cultural, socio-economic and natural heritage. As a small tour operator, it is not within our scope to change the tourism industry alone. But we can have a positive impact on our little corner of it – traveling to both experience and help nature – as well as holding up a light for others, illuminating the art of the possible.
Using guidance and training from GSTC we have used this document to demonstrate what we are doing to fulfil applicable sustainability criteria across the board, and where our journey will take us next.
If you wish to read the full substantive report you can do so here
Encouraging and practicing respectful wildlife-watching
For the prosperity of the species that we enjoy watching so much, and for our own ongoing enjoyment, it is imperative that we avoid disturbing the wildlife we are trying to see.
We never flush birds. For ground-nesters such as the Moroccan Marsh Owl, we only offer trips outside the breeding season, and time our site visits to maximise the chance of finding the birds active rather than roosting.
We use fieldcraft to find passerines. Usually with a little patience and listening, it is perfectly possible to find the bird you are looking for. On the extremely rare occasions we choose to use a tape, we do so sensitively, always adhering to the guidelines published in the article “The Proper Use of Playback in Birding” by Sibley et al.
Where we work through other companies, for example for cetacean-watching boat trips or to look for Iberian Lynx, we only work with reputable firms who have non-intrusive wildlife-watching protocols in place.
Challenging the unethical…
While we as individuals have no problem with sustainable subsistence hunting within local communities, we personally find hunting for so-called ‘sport’ abhorrent, and unsustainable trophy hunting completely unacceptable. The hunting industry often seems to be out of control, able to damage ecosystems and illegally kill native wildlife with impunity. Of the thirty optics companies that were examined in the 2018 Ethical Consumer report entitled “Shooting Wildlife II”, 83% were found to specifically market to hunters as well as birders. And a disappointing 13 of these actively glamorise trophy hunting in their promotional material, including targets like lions and bears.
Inglorious Bustards engaged in the debate on this subject following the Shooting Wildlife III report. Our view is that as conservationists and an ethical caring nature tourism business we should promote positive ethical choices to potential consumers so they can make an informed choice.
Supporting the next generation #FlywayLearning
Next Generation Birders was set up to provide an online as well as offline social community for young birders. We are proud to work with them to provide young birders opportunities for affordable foreign birding trips and opportunities for volunteering with other conservation partners.
We regularly host university groups with modules of learning including the ethology and ecology of bird migration, conservation, land-use impact on nature and more! Contact us if you have a group who would like to experience #FlywayLearning!
Working with conservation organisations and our former colleagues
We have worked for nature conservation organisations at a senior level for decades and we continue to work with former colleagues to use our expertise to assist with conservation projects, advocacy and land management advice.
Inglorious Bustards were very proud to provide all arrangements, logistics and guiding to make this promotional video for Birdlife International and GREPOM / Birdlife Maroc about the Northern Bald Ibis.
Inglorious Bustards are supporters of Wild Finca an agriwilding project in Asturias, northern Spain. The project currently covers 13 hectares and is working to provide a mosaic of habitats for a range of species in an ever-changing area. So far 105 species of bird have been recorded on the finca, with over 25 species of mammal, including 16 different bat species, as well as reptiles such as Seoanei Vipers, and amphibians like Fire Salamanders.
The aim of the project is to provide a home for nature, as well as acting as an education centre hosting visits from pre-school groups to retirees to inspire a love of the natural world. Wild Finca hopes other land owners will take inspiration from the project and use ideas on their own land to benefit nature.
Wild Finca is the passion project and home of Luke Massey and Katie Stacey, who live there with their two young sons. They have already received incredible support, which has helped with further land purchases and habitat creation. As an old cattle farm, the fields were largely improved grassland or used to grow maize/silage for wintering cattle. These fields are now returning to a wilder state with Wasp Spiders found amongst the grasses, Woodcock Orchids and Pyrenean Lilies appearing too.
Luke and Katie are now working to create a network of native hedgerows, to act as wildlife corridors, and the Inglorious Bustards are proud to have helped most recently with the purchase of 450 Blackthorn, Dog Rose and Hawthorn plants to start the creation of these hedgerows.
Making our Birding count!
Just like many of you we love to count and we work closely with Fundación Migres and assist with the ongoing monitoring of soaring migratory birds crossing The Straits and the long-term Balearic Shearwater monitoring too.
We also take part each month in the Pan African – Eurasian Shorebird survey at two of The Straits premier wetland sites for the Shorebird Conservation Society.
The Shorebird Conservation Society is a community formed to highlight the plight of shorebird populations at a global scale. The community is represented by individuals from extraordinary diverse fields working together to protect shorebirds and their habitats all over the world.
Andalucía is an important wintering and stopover point for migrating Common Cranes. During the winter we conduct the census of wintering Common Cranes at La Janda for Grus Extremadura.
As well as education and conservation work, this organisation has been working to bring together data about Common Cranes passing through the Iberian Peninsula since 2014, both by collating ad hoc records and managing two peninsula-wide surveys in December and January of each winter.
All our birding records are submitted to eBird too!
eBird is among the world’s largest biodiversity-related science projects, with more than 100 million bird sightings contributed annually by eBirders around the world and an average participation growth rate of approximately 20% year over year. A collaborative enterprise with hundreds of partner organisations, thousands of regional experts, and hundreds of thousands of users, eBird is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
