PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a priority species (small falcon) listed in the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) and whose number is very low in Bulgaria. Once one of Europes most common birds of prey, the breeding population is declining due to threats such as loss of nesting sites andforaging habitats, pesticides use and the intensification of agriculture. LIFE has funded several successful examples of restoring and stabilising national populations of the species, for example, in France (LIFE05 NAT/F/000134), Portugal (LIFE02 NAT/P/008481) and Spain (LIFE99 NAT/E/006341).
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the Lesser Kestrel Recovery project was to support and strengthen the population of the priority species listed in the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) - lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) - in Bulgaria, through conservation measures and wider public involvement. Specific objectives included:
RESULTS
The Lesser Kestrel Recovery project improved the conservation status of the lesser kestrel in Bulgaria, from extinct as a breeding species to breeding species. The project succeeded in establishing a breeding colony of the lesser kestrel in the village of Levka, in the Sakar Natura 2000 network site (SPA) in south-eastern Bulgaria. As a result, in 2014, successful breeding of lesser kestrel was confirmed for the first time in several decades for Bulgaria. In 2017, prior to the project's end, the number of lesser kestrels in the newly-established colony reached and exceeded 20 nesting pairs. The project had a high demonstration value. It demonstrated a range of innovations in the field, including a lesser kestrel release and adaptation module and demonstration centre, a novel method for radio tagging lesser kestrel, and methods for the active protection of birds of prey against terrestrial predators (using electric fencing, dogs, roof protection, and traps). The project produced new data concerning the home range of a lesser kestrel colony, and data about the daily activeness of foraging adults. It proved the connections between lesser kestrel nesting populations in Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Tagged lesser kestrel were shown to move from Bulgaria to Greece, for example, over a distance of 130 km. Roosts, stopover sites, pre-migration roaming routes and areas of concentration of individuals from the Bulgarian population were identified in Greece and Turkey for the first time, using satellite telemetry. In 2014, a previously unknown lesser kestrel colony was discovered in the Lukoil Neftochim oil refinery in Burgas, which was constantly monitored during the project. The precise data from the monitoring of individuals (using coloured rings) also provided a clear picture of the behaviour of lesser kestrel juveniles in their home colony in the post-fledging period. In addition, the project successfully introduced an adapted restocking methodology for lesser kestrel that was invented in Spain. The project demonstrated adaptions for the interior of standard aviaries for the captive breeding of lesser kestrel and other birds of prey, using a methodology provided by associated Spanish beneficiary DEMA. This methodology involved lesser kestrel chicks being reared alongside the foster parents own offspring. For the first time in Bulgaria, the project performed a study of the roaming, migration and wintering of lesser kestrel, by tracking birds with 5g Solar PTT-100 satellite transmitters. This determined for the first time the lesser kestrel wintering sites in Africa of the Balkan, particularly the Bulgarian, population (4 000 km away from the nesting areas). By strengthening the Balkan lesser kestrel populations, the project contributed to, the EU Biodiversity Strategy until 2020, and the direct conservation of a priority species listed in the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) and several global treaties (CITES, Bern Convention, CMS, Ramsar). Moreover, the project contributed to the implementation of biodiversity conservation policy in Bulgaria and helped in the development of a Lesser Kestrel National Action Plan. The project team conducted an extensive programme of public information activities, an educational programme for children, and provided training for farmers relating to lesser kestrel conservation. A series of meetings with farmers has helped them increase their profits while implementing lesser kestrel-friendly practices. As a result, free-ranging horses and livestock now graze the project area. The Demonstration Centre in Levka has received many visitors since 2014, and is on the itineraries of several birdwatching tourism operators. A guesthouse has also opened by private owners in the village of Levka as a result of the increased number of tourists. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).
