Recuperació del xoriguer petit (Falco naumanni) a l’Alt Empordà

The Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) breeds in Catalonia, feeds basically on insects and its habitat are open spaces alternating pastures and dryland farming. During the last century, the Lesser Kestrel populations experienced a very strong decline throughout all its range. It disappeared completely as a breeder in several countries, such as in Catalonia in 1986. Therefore, the species was classified as globally threatened in the category vulnerable. In 1989, a reintroduction program of the species was started in Catalonia and at present time two populations have been secured: one in Lleida with 75 breeding pairs and the other one in the Alt Empordà with 37 breeding pairs in 2012. The introduced population is monitored closely which has allowed to learn about and manage the reintroduction program. Although most of the reproduction parameters are very good according to statistic models, the rates for the Alt Empordà population show that it is still not viable without releasing new specimen, due above all to the low return rate of adult birds.