This project has highlighted the critical situation of the red kite in southwestern Spain and that urgent measures are needed to guarantee the conservation and improvement of these populations for the future.

The entity Action for the Wild (AMUS) was a beneficiary in the 2017 Call for Grants with the project “Actions for the conservation of the red kite (Milvus milvus) in southwestern Spain” which has aimed to carry out a diagnosis and improve the conservation status of the red kite population.

The project developed a series of actions aimed at improving the conservation status of the species in the south of the province of Badajoz and north of Huelva. Among the results obtained, the critical situation of the red kite in the southwest of Spain stands out, and although the various national censuses had already shown a negative trend, with this project it has been confirmed that the breeding population has serious viability problems in the medium and long term. In addition to the low number of breeding pairs detected, between 10-15 pairs, we must add the low productivity of this population, with only 2 chicks detected flying in 2019.

The causes that threaten this population have been delved into, shootings and poisoning, which continue to be the main threats along with collisions. With the awareness-raising activities, it has been intended to bring to different sectors of the local population in the south of Badajoz and north of Huelva, firstly, the knowledge of the species, and secondly, to raise awareness of the serious situation that the red kite is going through in this area. In addition to awareness-raising, the different agents of the environmental authority have been trained in the fight against threats to wildlife, and especially those that affect the red kite.

This project has highlighted the critical situation of the red kite in southwestern Spain and that urgent measures are needed to guarantee the conservation and improvement of these populations for the future.