Jo Romain Reintroduction program of Lesser Kestrel in France: 10 years after
Context 1900-1980 17 colonies Population of Lesser Krestrel International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2
Context 1980-2001 1 colony with 3 pairs at the Population beginning of increase 1980 s up to 65 pairs in 2001 Crau M. Bourgeois 1 st LIFE project (1997-2001) is developed to ensure the maintenance and growth of this sole population International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 3
C. Grangier Context J. Guillaumot 2002 New population in village with 11 pairs Hérault Crau International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 4
J. Gonin Context 2003-2004 1 then 2 pairs in nest boxes installed for European Roller Hérault Crau Crau: 63 then 98 pairs Hérault: 11 then 14 pairs Aude A LIFE project is in reflection to help this new population International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 5
Context 2005 Pairs in nest boxes disappear Hérault Crau Crau: 127 pairs Hérault: 24 pairs LIFE project called Life Transfert including reintroduction program is accepted and will begin in 2006. International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 6
Reintroduction program The reintroduction method used is that developed by DEMA. It consists : LPO Aude to put chicks in an artificial nest box placed on the release site To maintain captive adults on the release site to create an atmosphere of a colony This method increases the duration of the presence of the reintroduced chicks and improves their rate of return. International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 7
LPO Aude Reintroduction program LPO Aude An abandoned wine building has been converted into reintroduction and nesting site (32 nest boxes) After International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 8
LPO Aude Reintroduction program 199 from DEMA (Spain) + 39 from UFCS (France) = 238 chicks released (40 % more of original project) 53 53 55 69 8 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Life Transfert International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 9
Creation of new population LPO Aude 2006 53 chicks released International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 10
Creation of new population 2007 0 pair 53 chicks released International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 11
Creation of new population LPO Aude M. Fouquet 2008 2 breeding sites 5 pairs -> 3 juv. 55 chicks released International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 12
Creation of new population 2009 2 breeding sites 12 pairs -> 15 juv. 69 chicks released International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 13
Creation of new population M. Bourgeois 2010 3 breeding sites 12 pairs -> 18 juv. 8 chicks released New site in nest box in a farm International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 14
Creation of new population 2011 C. Grangier 5 breeding sites 18 pairs -> 54 juv. M. Bourgeois Deserts pylons because competition with roller International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 15
Creation of new population M. Fouquet 2012 6 breeding sites 19 pairs -> 46 juv. Colonization of the village International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 16
Creation of new population K. Martorell 2013 4 breeding sites 20 pairs -> 62 juv. Collapse of building supporting nest boxes International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 17
Creation of new population 2014 4 breeding sites 25 pairs -> 74 juv. International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 18
Creation of new population 2015 6 breeding sites 25 pairs -> 78 juv. 2 new villages colonized International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 19
Creation of new population 2016 6 breeding sites 37 pairs -> 114 juv. Less pairs in release site and more in village International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 20
Habitats International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 21
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016* Pairs French population French population Herault population Gard population Crau population Aude population 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 * 1 st approximation for Herault population International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 22
Site fidelity Year Flying chicks Individuals reviewed in the site in the site Return rate 2006 53 29 54.7 % 2007 53 11 20.8 % 2008 58 24 41.4 % 2009 84 25 29.8 % 2010 26 16 61.5 % 2011 51 24 47.1 % Tot. 325 129 39.7 % Very good return on the sites of young released (also higher than for wild chicks) but installation as nesting on the release site is much lower and dispersion is higher International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 23
2006 Oringin of breeders 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Number of pairs 100% 5 3 5 3 5 5 6 9 8 Number chicks released 50 80% 40 60% 37 30 40% 20% 0% 1 5 7 12 18 19 20 25 25 20 10 0 Надпис на ос? or without ring Exterior Released Born in Aude Number of pairs International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 24
Demographic parameters Juvenile survival always good adult survival increase <- dispersal to other populations Year survival Frequency of reproduction Juvenile Immature/Adult Immature Adult 2006/2007 0.59-6 % 2008 0.24 0.51 17 % 58 % 2009 0.54 0.52 10 % 40 % 2010 0.49 0.46 22 % 53 % 2011 0.73 0.52 58 % 72 % 2012 0.62 0.54 44 % 64 % 2013 0.45 0.55 36 % 79 % 2014 0.55 0.67 41 % 75 % 2015 -* -* -* -* 2016 -* 0.69 -* 93 % Mean (2011-2014) 0.59 (0.50) 0.57 (0.69) 45 % (46%) 72 % (88%) *Data deficient or insufficient number of chicks ringed / Crau s population in red International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 25
Year Pairs Clutch size Pair with success Pair with failure Success rate Flying juveniles Breeding success Productivity Chicks released Breeding parameters 2003 1 unknown 1 0 100% 4 4 (n=1) 4 0 2004 2 unknown 1 1 50% 2+ 2+ (n=1) 1+ 0 2005 0 - - - - 0 - - 0 2006 0 - - - - 0 - - 53 2007 1 unknown 0 1 0% 0 0 (n=1) 0 53 2008 5 4 (n=2) 2 3 40% 3 1.50 (n=2) 0.60 55 2009 12 3.86 (n=7) 4 8 33.33% 15 3.75 (n=4) 1.25 69 2010 12 4.40 (n=5) 5 7 41.67% 18 3.60 (n=5) 1.50 8 2011 18 4.35 (n=17) 16 2 88.88% 54 3.37 (n=16) 3 0 2012 19 4.11 (n=9) 13 6 68.42% 46 3.55 (n=9) 2.42 0 2013 20 unknown 17 3 85% 62 3.63 (n=11) 3.10 0 2014 25 4.20 (n=10) 24 1 96% 74 3.10 (n=10) 2.96 0 2015 25 4.10 (n=7) 21 4 84% 76 3.60 (n=5) 3.04 0 2016 37 4 (n=2) 31 6 83.78% 117 3.78 (n=18) 3.16 0 Tot. 177 4.13 (n=59) 135 42 76 % 471 3.48 2.66 238 International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 26
Viability Productivity > 2 > 5 colonies > 50 breeding pairs (on the way to be reached) adult survival > 0.70 Close by conditions to the population viability! International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 27
How improve the reintroduction Before : Ensure sufficient availability of nesting sites around the release site Release chicks from several nesting boxes by small groups of 4-5 to facilitate the installation of breeders (high propensity to settle in released box during the first nesting) and limit the dispersion. Multiply simultaneous release sites to avoid intraspecific competition (strong territoriality of the first pairs who settle). International Lesser Kestrel Expert Workshop - 4-8 October 2016 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria 28
Jo Romain Reintroduction program is a successful Lesser Kestrel seems to have a great promise in the Aude
Thanks for your attention