Birds, environment and responsible production

As part of the Palermo 2025 Rural Exposition, Aves Argentinas and the Argentine Angus Association presented special recognition to Estancias y Cabaña Las Lilas for their work in conserving the Pampas Meadowlark, an emblematic species of declining natural grasslands.

The event took place at the Angus stand this Monday at noon, and was attended by representatives from both organizations. On behalf of Las Lilas, Sebastián Rhodius , general manager of Estancias y Cabaña Las Lilas SA, received the award. He stated that "the Pampas meadowlark not only found refuge in our fields, but has also multiplied. At La Josefina, we demonstrated that cutting-edge livestock and genetics can be achieved without endangering our native fauna. On the contrary, when management is responsible, nature responds."

For his part, Juan María Raggio , President of Aves Argentinas, added: "Thanks to the constant work of Las Lilas, its respectful management practices and its openness to dialogue with scientists and conservationists, today the Pampas meadowlark is not alone. Its song, which seemed condemned to silence, can still be heard in its fields. This is why we are here today, giving this recognition to conservation and to the vision of working and producing together with conservation."

“It is a true honor for the Argentine Angus Association to present this recognition, together with Aves Argentinas, to Cabaña Las Lilas for its valuable work in the recovery of an endangered species such as the Pampas Meadowlark,” said Alfonso Bustillo , president of the Argentine Angus Association.

And he concluded: “As ranchers, we must become aware of the contribution that Aves Argentinas makes, helping us understand how our management practices—such as overgrazing or undergrazing—directly impact the ecosystem.

When we overgraze, many birds lose their habitat and are displaced by more common species; something similar happens with undergrazing. Therefore, I believe it is essential that the Argentine Angus Association and Argentine Birds continue to strengthen this bond, which enriches both production and the conservation of the natural environment.”

For the fourth consecutive year, the Pampas Meadowlark Project is working to conserve this emblematic species of natural grasslands, considered the most endangered in the Pampas ecosystem . Historically abundant in Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, the Pampas Meadowlark (Leistes defilippii) has seen its population reduced by more than 75% in recent decades, and currently only small breeding populations remain in southwestern Buenos Aires. The La Josefina ranch, in Cabaña Las Lilas, in the Saavedra district, is home to one of the last breeding and wintering populations in the world.

Since 2021, Aves Argentinas has been working with Las Lilas on a public-private partnership that includes nest surveys, marking and monitoring of individuals, placing barriers to prevent predation, planning grazing while respecting the meadowlark's nesting times, and using enclosures in critical areas to reduce the impact of grazing.

Over four breeding seasons, these actions protected the species' year-round grasslands, greatly reduced nest predation in the managed area, and facilitated the birth of more than 400 chicks.

In 2023, more than 600 individuals were counted in La Josefina, making it the site with the highest concentration of this species in the world , no less than 30% of the total population, and a concrete example of the articulation between science, production and conservation.

The award ceremony seeks to highlight concrete examples of the integration of production and conservation, in line with a vision of a sustainable and biodiverse countryside.