Since the first SPA was declared within an urban center in Extremadura in 2004, this pioneering initiative has been widely accepted by different groups such as local and regional governments and conservation NGOs. However, while the network of urban SPAs in Extremadura grew to 19 declared spaces, no other region in the world had declared a building or group of buildings as a protected space because of its biodiversity value.
Yesterday, November 10, 2020, the Sustainable Development Council of Castile-La Mancha, by virtue of Decree 70/2020, of November 3, declared the Lesser Kestrel Colonies at the Churches of Almodóvar del Campo and Tirteafuera in Ciudad Real as SPAs. Thanks to said decree, a hundred pairs of lesser kestrels nesting at the Churches of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción and Santa Catalina in Tirteafuera (Almodóvar del Campo) have been protected. Both churches were declared Cultural Interest Assets in the past.
It should be noted that this initiative came into existence thanks to several associations for the conservation of nature, business groups, social groups, private owners, as well as the Almodóvar del Campo City Hall. The Government of Castile-La Mancha has endorsed this proposal considering it of interest to protected species. In addition, it has the support of the ecclesiastical owners of the buildings.
We at the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN Project want to congratulate all those involved and offer them our help in managing this unique space. Beyond what the SPA declaration implies from the standpoint of lesser kestrel conservation, we are pleased that the network of urban SPAs is transcending the boundaries of Extremadura's geography -- something which will allow us to work with and learn from other experiences.
https://docm.castillalamancha.es/portaldocm/descargarArchivo.do?ruta=2020/11/10/pdf/2020_8976.pdf&tipo=rutaDocm
Almodóvar del Campo and Tirteafuera (Ciudad Real) join the network of urban SPAs for the conservation of the lesser kestrel. The Government of Castile-La Mancha has endorsed this proposal, initiated for the first time in Extremadura in 2004, considering it of interest to protected species in urban environments.
Birding in Extremadura
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