Conservation

As part of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project a specific action (C3) was defined to reinforce the urban ZEPA of San Vicente de Alcántara. This action was initiated in 2018 and was carried out by means of a captive breeding programme and a programme of releases in the enclave.

In 2020 the census recorded a total of 5 lesser kestrel pairs established in the urban ZEPA of San Vicente de Alcántara.  A year later in 2021 a total of 12-13 established pairs were found.

As part of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project multiple actions have been carried out designed to improve the conservation and management of breeding colonies in urban ZEPAs and also to find out more about the feeding areas on which the urban populations of lesser kestrels depend for their conservation. The results of the various actions of the LIFE projects have included very valuable information on the species from all over the region; this information has served to develop various normative documents which will contribute towards improving the situation of the species.

The experts look to the future of the lesser kestrel. The creation and management of urban ZEPAs (Special Bird Protection Areas) containing lesser kestrels and the potential of this species as a tourist resource were the themes of the fourth and last day of the VIII International Congress online on the conservation of the lesser kestrel.

EXPERTS AGREE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL HABITAT IN THE CONSERVATION OF THE LESSER KESTREL

For the third consecutive day experts of international renown met today at the VIII International Congress online on lesser kestrel conservation as part of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project; the Congress was coordinated by the Sustainability Department of the Regional Government of Extremadura. Today's programme stressed the importance of traditional farming practice in the conservation of suitable habitat for the lesser kestrel.

Today was the second day of the VIII International Congress online on the conservation of the lesser kestrels as part of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project, which is coordinated by the Sustainability Department of the Regional Government of Extremadura.

The minister for Ecological Transition and Sustainability of the Regional Government of Extremadura, Olga García, has inaugurated the VIII International Congress online on the conservation of the lesser kestrel, appealing for awareness in all sectors so as to continue working for the conservation of the species. She has stressed as an example of what can be done the achievements of recent years with the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project on "Urban ZEPA Management in Extremadura", of which this congress is one of the final events.

The technicians of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project have detected in the ZEPA of San Vicente de Alcántara a lesser kestrel which was ringed and released in this colony in 2020.

The female identified was one of the chicks which was installed in June that year in the Release Unit located in the Church of San Vicente Mártir in order to be reintroduced into its natural habitat by means of the "Colony Environment" methodology.

The first lesser kestrel chicks of the 2021 season are already in the release unit located in the Church of San Vicente Mártir in the urban ZEPA of San Vicente de Alcántara. This is the main scenario for the actions of consolidating the lesser kestrel colonies of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project.

Technicians of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project are assessing the possible declaration of new Special Bird Protection Areas (Zonas de Especial Protección de Aves, ZEPAs) in built-up areas owing to the presence of colonies of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni).

The last weekend new captures of lesser kestrels took place as part of Action A2 of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN urban. In 2018 50 individuals were fitted with transmitters but given the useful life of the appliances most of them either no longer give off signals or do so inadequately. As the date of the end of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project has been extended it was necessary to fit birds with GPS datalogger transmitters to continue the follow-up of the collaborating estates (Actions B1 and C4).