PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a diurnal raptor that is a priority for conservation in Europe, where its breeding population stronghold is located in the Mediterranean region. The species suffered of a marked population decline in the second half of the twentieth century. According to niche modelling exercises, ongoing climate change is expected to result in range contraction in the southern breeding range and expansion towards the north-east in the near future. The central-eastern Mediterranean region will thus play a crucial role for any future northward expansion, which will likely be triggered by those populations located at the north-eastern distribution range margins. However, the persistence of these small and isolated populations is currently negatively affected by both intrinsic (e.g. small population size) and extrinsic (e.g. destruction of nest sites) threats.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE FALKON project aimed to foster the resilience of the central-eastern European population of lesser kestrel to climate change, by improving the conservation status of Italian and Greek populations breeding at the north-eastern edge of the breeding range.
Specific objectives were to:
- improve foraging and nesting habitat quality in farmland areas and Natura 2000 sites (SPAs) where the species breeds in the project areas;
- establish a collaborative international network to support the implementation of conservation actions, population monitoring programmes and knowledge sharing across the central-eastern Mediterranean region, and foster replicability and transferability of project actions in south-eastern Europe;
- promote public awareness concerning the lesser kestrel and biodiversity conservation in the north-eastern margins of its breeding range, with an emphasis on environmental education;
- obtain an accurate assessment of the conservation status of those populations that are considered crucial for the species’ northward breeding expansion.
The project directly implements the Birds Directive, by targeting a species that is listed as a conservation priority.
RESULTS
The project installed 209 nestboxes for lesser kestrel in 37 sites and built five nesting towers (overall hosting further 100 artificial nests) in the Po Plain-Italy, three in N2000k sites and two outside to improve population connectivity. Wild lesser kestrels colonized one of the towers in 2023, occupying a nesting box during one month in early spring. Later during the season, this tower as well as the others were repeatedly colonised by swarming bees during different years, impeding the successful egg deposition for lesser kestrels even in the occupied tower. Other species took advantage of the nesting boxes in the towers, for instance the European roller (Coracias garrulus), listed in Annex II of the EU "Bird Directive" 2009/147/CE.127. Nesting boxes were installed in Greece too, 19 in Ioannina (where unfortunately bureaucratic problems impeded the installation of a large nesting complex of 80 nests), 54 in Lemnos Island and 53 more in Komotini area.
90 hacked nestlings were released in Northern Italy, 19 of these were equipped with GPS and their movement compared with further 11 wild nestlings and tens of adults that were tracked in the previous years. It was found the hacked nestlings followed the wild individuals on the same migration routes and wintering quarters used by the local breeding population.
The population is increasing and the nestboxes play a key role in sustaining lesser kestrels, especially after the loss of rural buildings, where the colonies previously settled. The occupancy rate reached the 10% in 2022-2023 (low but acceptable). The number of breeding pairs currently using the nestboxes in Po Plain-Italy is close to 40% of the population estimated for 2016 in the same project area (as foreseen). In terms of breeding success, the staff found comparable results in occupied nestboxes, to natural cavities for all the project sites.
The staff obtained the extension of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) by 13 000 ha in Po Plain area-Italy.
In terms of Ecosystem services, the staff demonstrated, with targeted studies, the role of Lesser Kestrel as umbrella species (Assandri et al. 2023 AGEE 349:108441) and how important the lesser kestrels might be as pest predator in agricultural habitats.
Overall, 45 stakeholders were involved in the project at different title with direct participation. All the Municipalities and Regions hosting lesser kestrels were made aware of the peculiarity.
A ‘Practical Handbook for Replicability and Transferability’ has been produced and published online. 11 scholar ISI papers have been published thanks to the project, spanning from habitat selection to the impact of wind farm on the lesser kestrel at EU level.
