The NGO Defensa y estudio del medio ambiente seeks to develop an urban SPA management model to ensure the conservation of the lesser kestrel.

LIFE-ZEPAURBAN “Management of Urban SPAs in Extremadura for the conservation of the lesser kestrel(Falco naumanni)” is the name given by the NGO Defensa y estudio del medio ambiente (DEMA) to the project it is carrying out. with the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment.

The project was launched because more than 65 % of the lesser kestrel population in Extremadura is concentrated in urban areas, which have suffered a 40 % decline in recent years, requiring specific conservation and management measures. For this reason, the main objective is to develop an urban SPA management model that ensures the long-term conservation of this species, adopting effective measures to reduce or eliminate its main threats.

In order for the project to be successful and thus achieve the planned objectives, the following actions will be developed:

– Improve the conservation and management of breeding colonies in urban SPAs by reinforcing colonies at risk of disappearing and installing new nesting sites. Training workshops will be provided to construction and building restoration companies for the proper execution of works. In addition, legal instruments will be approved to help improve the situation of the species.

– Ensure the conservation of feeding habitats on which urban populations depend, involving farmers and ranchers.

– Raise awareness among the local population, schoolchildren and professional groups about the conservation problems of the species and involve them in the solutions through participatory awareness and information campaigns.

– Develop tourism experiences based on the species, as a model of sustainable economic activity at the local level.

– Develop a Replicability Strategy for the project and networking with similar projects for the transfer of knowledge, results obtained, problems encountered and lessons learned.

The results obtained are as follows:

• The rearing of 50 chicks produced at the Breeding Center during 2018, 2019 and 2020, compared to the 40 initially programmed, as well as their release in the selected area. As sources of verification we provide the Resolutions of the Junta de Extremadura for transport and release that can be consulted in the following links from 2018 to 2020.
• The construction of a Liberation Module placed in the colony to be reinforced. These are the photographs of the construction.
• Monitoring of the number of breeding pairs established in the colony and the percentage of returns from the second year of releases has revealed that there has been a minimum return rate of 9% of the released chicks.