Conservation

Under the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN Project entitled “Management of urban SPAs in Extremadura”, a workshop will be held for construction companies that carry out works on buildings with a lesser kestrel presence.

OBJECTIVE: to discover in detail the proper way to carry out the works so that they are compatible with the presence of lesser kestrels.

WHO IT IS AIMED AT: individuals and companies in the construction sector, in particular the staff members who carry out the work (masons, laborers, carpenters, etc.).

Since last September and within the context of the Life ZEPAURBAN Project, work has been being carried out to improve the feeding habitats of the lesser kestrel at the designated estates of the SPAs of Trujillo, Cáceres, and Acedera. Specifically, the spreading of fertilizer (superphosphate) has begun in grassy areas, with the aim of improving the grass quality, which in turn will increase the abundance of prey for the kestrel in the spring.

The promoter is the General Directorate of Libraries, Archives, and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, with the technicians of the Works and Projects Service of said Ministry drafting the project. The total budget for the 4 lots is 92,175 euros (VAT included) and its breakdown is as follows:

Lot 1: Acedera. Adaptation of putlog holes for the nesting of the lesser kestrel at the Ntra. Sra. de la Jara Church. Tender budget: € 18,306

The promoter is the General Directorate of Libraries, Archives, and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, with the technicians of the Works and Projects Service of said Ministry drafting the project. The budget for the work is 43,253 euros (VAT included), and the successful bidder was RC OBRAS SAU.

LIFE ZEPAURBAN Project: Action C1. Adaptation of the nesting sites in buildings of heritage value in urban SPAs of Extremadura.

On August 7, the announcement for a tender process for the RESTORATION AND ADAPTATION OF WALLS FOR THE LESSER KESTREL AT THE LA VISITACIÓN CONVENT (PUEBLA DE ALCOCER), was published on the State Contracting Platform.

URBAN BIRDING is the name of the tourist product that has been created in Extremadura (under the Life ZEPAURBAN Project, funded by Europe) with the lesser kestrel and other urban birds in mind.

Under Action A2 "Study and characterization of feeding habitats of the lesser kestrel in the urban SPAs and roosts of Extremadura", for which the partner Terra Naturalis is responsible, it was planned to place seven satellite transmitters on lesser kestrel specimens from several previously selected colonies -- selected due to their geographical location and their accessibility when doing the capturing.

Within the context of the follow-up activities for Action D1 of the LIFE-ZEPAURBAN project, “Monitoring of the impact of the project's conservation actions on the lesser kestrel in the urban SPAs of Extremadura”, monitoring is being carried out to discover the effectiveness of the conservation actions undertaken within the project's scope. To this end, periodic visits are being made to the buildings where activities have been undertaken under Actions C1 and C2 to determine the degree of acceptance of the improvements made.

The General Directorate of Tourism, as a partner of the LIFE ZEPAURBAN Project in its commitment to strengthening the “URBAN BIRDING” Product, has provided all its members with various materials for the theming of their establishments.

"URBAN BIRDING" is an urban ornithological tourism product that is based on the development of activities that generate local economic wealth around the observation of the lesser kestrel in five Extremaduran towns: Cáceres, Jerez, Plasencia, Trujillo, and Zafra.