PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Three SPA sites in Greece account for more than 75% of the country’s total population of the lesser kestrel and 6% of the estimated EU population. In Thessaly, however, the species is threatened, mainly due to the degradation of foraging areas, which in turn reduces the amount of food and, therefore, breeding success. Its prey is also declining as a result of the intensification of agricultural practices, which reduces the abundance of insects and small mammals. The use of pesticides further reduces food availability.
Reduced breeding success is also linked to a deterioration in the quality and availability of nesting habitat, and the modernisation of buildings is forcing birds to select nesting sites in villages, further away from their foraging areas. Increased mortality of adults, juveniles and chicks is also linked to a lack of awareness by the local population. Intentional nest destruction is not uncommon, and young people have been reported for shooting the low flying kestrels.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the Lesser Kestrel Thessaly project was to achieve a 15% increase in the population of the lesser kestrel. Specifically, that involved:
RESULTS
The project has improved the conservation status of the lesser kestrel in Thessaly, Greece. It has properly documented the spread of local populations, built 700 new nesting sites, and involved farmers and the broader public in conserving the species. Measures introduced during the project have succeeded in decreasing threats and human disturbance to lesser kestrels in Thessaly. Conservationists have also laid the foundations for sustainable agro-pastoral practices and environmental actions that will carry on beyond the project timeframe. Through its work, Lesser Kestrel Thessaly has increased the breeding success of the species over areas that host 75% of its Greek population, and 6% of the entire EU population.
Researchers at the University of Thessaly completed a baseline survey for the lesser kestrel’s nesting and foraging habitats, documenting with new accuracy their numbers and whereabouts in Thessaly, Greece. Conservationists have ringed over 400 birds, and tagged some with radio-transmitters, GPS data loggers and geolocators to record their migratory routes.
The global positioning data recovered from these instruments have offered new insight into the behaviour of lesser kestrels. Recordings have notably revealed that the species migrates from Greece to Chad and Cameroon over the winter.
Further studies, including prey surveys and agrochemical analysis of dead birds, have helped expose threats to the species, such as bioaccumulation of organochlorines. These observations have helped clarify the conservation status of the lesser kestrel in Greece today.
To support the population of lesser kestrel in Thessaly, project participants have built and restored nesting sites in 140 buildings across dozens of Greek villages.
Outreach efforts successfully gathered support from farmers and the local population. Over 200 face-to-face interviews surveyed popular opinion with respect to farming practices that affect the conservation of the lesser kestrel. Survey results guided conservation measures proposed by the project. As a result, farmers and locals in Thessaly helped plant 1500 trees and shrubs to foster biodiversity and invertebrate prey for lesser kestrels.
Farmers also transformed more than 300 hectares of arable land into ideal foraging habitat for the lesser kestrel. This is the result of a new grazing management plan that sows perennial plants, turning fields into permanent pastures.
Other sustainable agricultural practices adopted by farmers as part of their involvement in Lesser Kestrel Thessaly included switching to a local barley cultivar that requires fewer agrochemicals to grow, crop rotation, leaving fields fallow, maintaining and enhancing hedgerows and natural vegetation among the crops, leaving 5 m. strips unharvested in the fields, reducing tillage and the burning of residues. Another measure extended local harvesting periods to offer lesser kestrels more areas where they can forage for food when their chicks hatch.
The project shared these practices by summarising them in a 50 page Good Practice Guide for farmers. It printed 1 000 copies of this publication and distributed them among farmers.
Lesser Kestrel Thessaly also managed to engage the enthusiasm of the general public as well. Information campaigns on conserving the lesser kestrel is estimated to have reached approximately 500 000 people.
Project representatives ran open meetings at villages where the lesser kestrel nests. They took part in radio interviews, erected public notice boards, released an environmental education kit, and produced a 30-minute documentary that was uploaded online and distributed through 300 DVD copies.
Proximity to residents and local authorities increased awareness and support for the lesser kestrel in Thessaly. It notably led to the establishment of a Lesser Kestrel Friendly certification scheme awarded to local farmers who follow sustainable agricultural practices for three years. It also helped promote a new take on ecotourism that showcases the natural and cultural monuments of the region while sparing its valuable Lower Kestrel population.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).
