News

On 14th May 2018, the group of beneficiaries of the Life ZEPAURBAN project received a visit from Sara Mora of the external team NEEMO-IDOM of the European Commission in order to obtain a general view of that the state of the implementation of the project.

The LIFE ZEPAURBAN project, which has amongst its principle objectives the adoption of measures that will ensure the conservation of the lesser kestrel in the urban areas of Extremadura in which it lives, and that these measures can be transferable to the rest of Europe, has started a round of presentations to show the development of work on the creation of a tourism product based on the potential of this species, which is catalogued as threatened because of alteration of its habitat.

The lesser kestrels that have been tagged with GPS transmitters are starting to provide information of great interest for the conservation of the species.

The General Directorate of Tourism as a beneficiary partner of the Life ZEPAURBAN project and as part of its actions for the creation of a tourism product, will be presenting in the forthcoming weeks to the different municipalities involved in the development of this,  the work it is undertaking and the process for development and implementation.

Like last year, the General Directorate of Libraries, Museums and Cultural Heritage and the General Directorate of the Environment of the Government of Extremadura have started visits to all the buildings for which they have responsibility during autumn and winter 2018/2019.

Within action A2 of LIFE ZEPAURBAN Study and characterisation of the feeding habitats of lesser kestrels in urban SPAs and roosts in Extremadura, a significant number of individuals have been captured and tagged in three urban SPAs in the region: Acedera (Badajoz), Casa de La Enjarada (Cáceres) and Trujillo (Cáceres).

The VI workshop “URBAN SPAs OF EXTREMADURA. CONSERVATION AND TOURISM” will take place on 18th May, organised by the General Directorate of Tourism and The General Directorate of the Environment of the Government of Extremadura, as part of the City of Cáceres Bird Festival (www.festivaldelasavescaceres.com). 

The Life ZEPAURBAN Project is preparing several novelties: within the framework of actions E4 and E9 of the project.

The International Ornithology Fair (Feria Internacional de Ornitología, FIO) will be held from 23rd to 25th February at the Monfragüe​ National Park and the LIFE ZEPAURBAN Project will have a space on the stand of the State Tourist Office.

On Friday 2nd February 2018 a technical meeting was held in the installations of the State Office for the Environment of the Regional Government of Extremadura by the members of the LIFE ZEPAURBAN Project, the State Office for the Environment, and Terra Naturalis together with the company Microsensory SL. This company has been awarded the tender for supplying satellite and GPS transmitters so as to carry out the follow-up of over 50 individuals of Lesser Kestrel in the forthcoming years.

On 30th November 2017 a meeting was held to sign the certificate of the initiation of the works to restore the roof of the Church of La Purificación of Almendralejo in the province of Badajoz. This church is situated in a Special Bird Protection Area (Zona de Especial Protección para las Aves, ZEPA) - Lesser Kestrel colonies of Almendralejo. ES0000331 - and holds an important colony of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni).

As a continuation of the joint visit in May of the technicians of the State Office of Libraries, Museums, and Cultural Heritage and of the State Office for the Environment to the historic centre of Cáceres, on 15th September 2017 they held a further meeting to specify the work to be carried out in the SPA of the “Lesser kestrel colonies in the Monumental Town of Cáceres”, which must be completed before the lesser kestrels return from their winter quarters.