PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Lubelszczyzna is one of the most diversified regions in Europe, with a highly fragmented mosaic of crops and habitats. The project will look at six important bird species in the region: the lesser spotted eagle, short-toed eagle, golden eagle, eagle owl, black stork and Tengmalms owl. These species occur in 16 Natura 2000 sites: Forest Janowskie Solska, mites, Forest Sandomierz, refuge Tyszowiecka, Sookiji Valley, Valley Szyszy, refuge Nielicka, shooting Forests, Forest Parczew, Uroczysko Bridges-Zahajki, Polesia, Forest Lukowski, Valley of the Lower Bug Tymienica Valley and the Upper catchment Huczwa.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the LIFEZONE project was to improve the nesting and foraging conditions for rare bird species in selected Natura 2000 areas in the Lubelszczyzna region of southeast Poland. This aim would be achieved by minimising the following threats: the disturbance of birds in nests; degradation of the suitable foraging areas for the lesser spotted eagle and short-toed eagle; mortality as a result of electric shock; lack of nesting trees and predation; lack of nesting hollows and nest predation of Tengmalms owl; poisoning; uncontrolled development of infrastructure, and the lack of a strategy for protecting the species territory.
RESULTS
The LIFEZONE project achieved its overall goal of improving the nesting and foraging conditions of six rare bird protected species within 16 selected Natura 2000 sites in the lubelskie region. This goal was achieved by first identifying the habitat preferences, range of foraging area and threats for the lesser spotted eagle and short-toed eagle using precise telemetry. The project also identified the population status and population parameters of birds through inventory and searching for new nests.
Based on the results, a regional conservation strategy was developed. The plan included installing 75 nesting platforms for the eagle owl, lesser spotted eagle and the black stork. The youngest chicks of the lesser spotted eagle were relocated to nests where there had been a recent loss of the brood. This measure prevents the chicks from being killed by their elder siblings in a practice known as cainism. A total of 23 chicks were transferred during the project. Other conservation actions included the restoration of favourable habitat conditions for the lesser spotted eagle on 100 ha of abandoned meadows, and the installation of insulators on 100 transformers within the feeding grounds of birds of prey. Around 60 nest boxes for the Boreal owl were also installed and guards were established to protect the nests from predators. Finally, knowledge of the 146 nesting zones was updated and relayed to the competent authorities with to request to create protection zones or correct their borders. Around a 100 protection zones have already been created.
Thanks to the project, 90% of white-tailed eagle nests within the project Natura 2000 areas are now protected with the zones. In the Puszcza Solska Natura 2000 site no poisoned birds were found in the last year of the project (2017-2018), most probably due to an information campaign carried out in the local communities. The only pair of short-toed snake eagles successfully raised a chick in 2018 after many years of failure), probably due to improvement in management of the meadows surrounding the nest.
To disseminate the projects aims and activities, more than 3000 school children were reached by a total of 151 workshops, while 33 workshops were held for farmers attracting 697. Also three meetings were held with 66 hunters.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).
