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How Mallorca’s baby birds are soaring into southern Spain to save a species
Red kite chicks from the Balearic Islands are helping to repopulate the skies over Jaén thanks to a long-running conservation project
Fifteen young red kites born in Mallorca have been transported to mainland Spain as part of a major conservation effort to reintroduce the endangered species to the Sierra de Cazorla region in Jaén.The birds, raised in the Tramuntana mountains, were carefully monitored, extracted and transferred through a collaboration between the Balearic and Andalucian governments. This initiative forms part of a five-year project to boost the red kite population in the Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park and so far, around fifty chicks have made the journey from the Balearics to the mainland.
The latest group of chicks was identified by the Consortium for the Recovery of Fauna of the Balearic Islands (Cofib), which cared for them at its facilities in Santa Eugènia before the transfer. Once on the mainland, the Andalucian group Grefa, responsible for leading the reintroduction effort, used a method known as “hacking” to release them. This technique involves housing the birds in safe artificial nests to help them adapt before being set free.
Many of the chicks, both those that stayed on the island and those sent to Andalucía, have been fitted with satellite tracking devices and marked with rings and wing tags to monitor their movements, behaviour and wellbeing. These efforts will help conservationists learn more about how the birds use the land and spot threats such as illegal poisoning or power line electrocution.
Joan Simonet, the Balearic Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment, praised the cooperation between regions, saying: “The red kite is a protected and endangered species. Collaboration between both communities is vital.”
He highlighted how far the island’s population has come. “In the 1990s, there were only eight pairs of red kites left in Mallorca. Today, there are more than 100,” he said. “This population increase allows us to actively participate in the Andalucian reintroduction project.”
To ensure the safety of the chicks, environmental agents in Mallorca had been monitoring nests over the past few months. The most accessible ones were chosen for extraction by the High Altitude Intervention Group (GIA), while others were left in place and monitored locally. The Balearic Ornithology and Nature Protection Group (GOB) also supported the operation by ringing the remaining chicks and equipping many with GPS transmitters.
Among the birds previously released in Jaén is a male named ‘Mallorca,’ a nod to his island origins. Remarkably, he has bred in the region for the second year running, providing hope that this once-rare bird might again become a regular feature in the Andalucian skies.
Image: Kev-Pixabay
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