PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Europe’s steppe birds are currently the most endangered category of birds, with up to 60% of species threatened to varying degrees. Spain’s Andalusia region supports the EU’s richest diversity of steppe birds. However, according to the Red List of Threatened Vertebrates in Andalusia, 82% of non-passerine steppe birds and 43% of passerine birds in the region are endangered. This is a higher percentage of endangered species than for any ornithocenosis (community of birds) in a forest, water or mountain ecosystem.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the ZEPA ESTEPARIAS ANDALUCIA project was to improve the conservation status of steppe birds in Andalusia. Priority species for the project’s support included the great bustard (Otis tarda), little bustard (Tetrax tetrax), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), black-bellied sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis), collared pratincole (Glareola pratincola), European roller (Coracias garrulus) and lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni). Specific aims were to
The project team also aimed to introduce technology to improve and implement management plans for endangered species.
RESULTS
The ZEPA ESTEPARIAS ANDALUCIA project oversaw the development and approval of the Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of Steppe Birds in Andalusia. A total of 190 collaboration agreements were signed involving farmers within Natura 2000 network Special Protection Areas (SPAs), covering over 15 600 ha (compared to the originally planned 120 agreements). Numerous measures were implemented to improve the conservation status of endangered steppe bird species on these areas.
The project team completed an exhaustive analysis of black spots related to electrocutions and collisions involving electricity power lines, as well as an inventory of hedges and boundaries. This gives competent authorities the necessary information to promote conservation measures. During the project, the landscape was modified to benefit steppe bird species, for example, with the implementation of standing crops, stubble fields, hedges, non-irrigated forage legumes, long-cycle cereals, grasslands and vegetal cover in olive groves, to provide them with more food resources or places of refuge and protection.
Targeted SPAs were provided with nesting infrastructure for certain bird species, including lesser kestrel and European roller, as well as with water supplies for critical periods of the year. Many provisions, including natural boundaries, fences, kestrel nest boxes, the adaptation of electricity infrastructure and the creation of ponds, have a permanent character and so will have a long-term benefit if suitably maintained.
The direct involvement of farmers has fostered a more positive perception and increased awareness regarding SPAs and steppe birds. Farmers were able to test for themselves new techniques (e.g. direct seeding) and crops (e.g. non-irrigated forage legumes, grasslands) that are more compatible with the conservation of steppe birds. Some farmers were willing to continue with direct seeding techniques after the project concluded. The project team also reached many other different sectors to raise awareness of the plight of steppe birds, including government technicians, politicians, livestock breeders, environmental volunteers, citizen groups, and local communities. Project actions have enabled steppe birds to become more visible to farmers and the local population. Livestock breeders can be integrated into farming habitat management, as users of stubble/hay.
The awareness-raising activities are particularly important in that the project’s conservation strategy, based on a sustainable farming model, needs to be maintained to ensure long-term benefits for steppe birds. It will require a longer time frame than possible in the project to ensure that new farming practices take hold. It is also necessary that the bird-friendly farming practices are promoted within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Regional Rural Development Programmes, to enable farmers to see their advantages and to benefit financially from implementing them.
Specific actions in the target SPAs included the purchase of crops (from a total of 4 505 ha) and stubble (6 062 ha), sowing of legumes (362 ha), creation of grasslands (110 ha), crop diversification (15 ha), adaptation of vegetation cover in olive groves (225 ha), direct sowing (693 ha), and the planting of long-cycle cereals (116 ha). Other measures included the creation of hedges and boundaries (totalling 26 700 m), construction of kestrel nest boxes, adaptation of electrical transformers and roofs to reduce kestrel mortality, and the installation of water troughs and ponds. These actions provide direct improvements to Natura 2000 sites. Knowledge about steppe birds (e.g. numbers, distribution, trends) was also significantly improved, which enables conservation actions to be more correctly applied.
The project is relevant for the implementation of the Birds Directive, the Habitats Directive, the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, and the Common Agricultural Policy, as the project’s measures aim to improve the conservation of protected bird species and steppe/grassland habitats, and increase biodiversity in farmlands.
The project team also worked towards generating sustainable job-creating opportunities within Natura 2000 sites, for example, by developing tourism. Several SPAs, for instance, were provided with infrastructure (e.g. two bird observatories and three interpretative pathways) and training courses aimed at ornithological guides and estate managers for developing nature-based tourism, including bird-watching. Project outcomes are being fed into the Rural Development Programme of Andalusia 2014-2020. The end of the project coincided with the formulation of agro-environmental measures in this programme, including a measure directly linked to the conservation of steppe birds that entails direct economic benefits to farmers.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).
