PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a globally threatened species, whose decline in Europe has been particularly marked since the 1960s. The massive fall in its population is mainly linked to the disappearance of foraging areas as a result of agricultural intensification. Furthermore, the renovation of old buildings and competition from other birds such as the jackdaw (Corvus monedula) lower the availability of nesting sites for the kestrel.
In France, the species used to occur throughout the Mediterranean littoral, but now it only nests in the Crau, where 42 pairs were counted in 1996. All these pairs now exhibit the peculiar habit of nesting on the ground on piles of pebbles, so that they suffer greatly from predation. Excessive livestock grazing pressure also seems to be a limiting factor for the kestrel's food resources (insects).
OBJECTIVES
The project's aim was to ensure the maintenance and growth of this population so that the whole of the Crau SPA can be recolonized. To stimulate the establishment of kestrel colonies in the sheep stables dotted throughout the Crau, it was planned to fitt custom-designed nest boxes on to the roofs of these buildings. Telemetric monitoring of the kestrels was also forseen to allow suitable foraging areas to be localised, where parts can then be fenced out and kept ungrazed in order to improve the availability of prey around the nesting sites. Another important action was the elaboration of a national action plan for the lesser kestrel, which would serve as a reference point to restore other populations outside the Crau.
RESULTS
The project has achieved its overall objective by ensuring the conservation and the growth of the sole population of lesser kestrel in France with 65 breeding pairs in 2001 against 48 in 1997, the starting year of the project. The main actions carried out by the project were:
Installation of 135 nest boxes on the roof of 11 buildings throughout the Crau, although mainly on 2 sheep stables that have been restored. Several types of boxes (wood, concrete, clay boxes) have been tested in various types of places (outside, inside). The aim of this action was to attract birds on the roof of sheep stables, as birds breeding on the ground are particularly vulnerable to natural predation. At the end of the project, only 4 nest boxes were occupied but we can assume that it was the start of a more important colonisation. Monitoring by radio-tracking, direct observation and capture/recapture techniques (birds have been ringed since 1994 and now 80% are ringed). The main foraging areas of the Crau lesser kestrel colony have been identified: During the prenuptial period, birds are foraging in wet meadows and agricultural lands, 6 km away from the breeding site itself. After hatching, birds stay in the steppe around the colonies and observations showed that the central zone of the national road crossing the Crau where no grazing occurs, is significantly more visited than other parts of the steppe. A total of 9.5 ha of the project site has been fenced out and kept ungrazed in order to improve prey availability around nesting sites. The results of the monitoring programs of the vegetation and of the orthoptera populations carried out in the fenced-out areas have shown that the food availability has greatly increased in those plots (hosting larger preys, better adapted to the lesser kestrel). Production of a management guide, based on the monitoring programme's results. It gives an overview of the agricultural practices of the area and the existing or recommended agro-environmental measures and it analyses their advantages and disadvantages for the lesser kestrel. Production of a brochure (71500 copies) called "Save the lesser Kestrel" including a call for donation distributed in July 2000. Thanks to this action, € 82,200 have been collected that will fund actions after the end of the LIFE-Nature programme. Actions to disseminate information on the project and raise public awareness through an exhibition with 14 panels presenting the species and the project actions in the Crau eco-museum, panels on the field, articles in naturalistic and scientific journals. Based on results of the LIFE Nature project, a national action plan has been developed by the beneficiary on behalf of the French Ministry of Environment. It covers the 2002-2006 period and defines priorities and actions to implement for the lesser kestrel in Crau and other sites identified during the project and that could potentially be re-colonised by the species. The action plan has been aproved by the national nature conservation council (CNPN – Conseil National de la Protection de la Nature). This document gives guidelines to carry on actions on the species following the end of the project.
