Migration and breeding ecology of Montagu's harriers (Spain)

A project of Estacion Biologica Terra Natura (Fun. Terra Natura - CIBIO, Univ. Alicante) in conjunction with the partners and sponsors detailed below.

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Introduction

In 2006 we radiotagged 10 adult Montagu's harriers in Castellon (Spain) using recently released 9.5-gram solar PTTs. This is the first time such a large number of individuals is tracked by satellite temeletry. This will hopefully enable us to identify habitat preferences during the breeding season, track birds' movements and identify the paths they follow during both the autumn and spring migration, identify where in Africa they spend the winter, and whether they return to breed in the same area in the following breeding season. The population we are studying is one of the few breeding on natural habitat in Europe, has undergone a remarkable spatial expansion in the last 20 years, and is one of the most succesful populations in terms of the number of offspring rised per pair every year. It has been monitored by the government of Valencia (Consejeria de Territorio y Vivienda, Generalitat Valenciana) since 1981. With the financial support of the airport of Castellon (Aeropuerto de Castellon) we have been studying this population since 2003, focusing on breeding biology, habitat selection and population dynamics.

Project Sponsors

This project is fully funded by the airport of Castellon (Aeropuerto de Castellon), and conducted with the colaboration of the government of Valencia (Consejeria de Territorio y Vivienda, Generalitat Valenciana).