oxyuro said:
Hi friends.
This year we have seen in Spain some Black winges Kites in postnuptial dispersion toward the north of the mediterranean area (Castellon and Tarragona counties... and this is enough to the north!). Do you have news about some obs. this year of this bird out Spain and Portugal??
Thanks.
Regards.
Franc.
Hi Franc.
A bit of news about Black-Shouldered Kites from Doñana.
In the past we used to get a few post nuptial birds spending the winter here but in the spring of 2003 a pair bred in the Corredor Verde and raised 3 young.
The following year (2004), despite the birds staying throughout the summer and winter, there was no breeding that I was aware of and most birds dispersed back to Extremadura and the north for the summer.
In the winter there were at least 15 birds in the region and this spring (2005) four pairs bred in various locations along a 6 kilometre stretch of the Corredor Verde. Three pairs were successful and raised a total of 8 young.
These birds have remained in the Doñana region throughout the summer and the numbers have now been increased by other wintering visitors.
It could be that there are now up to 50 birds in the region and I am hoping that we now have the beginnings of a resident breeding population. My clients and I regulary see up to 12 a day on my bird tours and they are now easier to find here than they are in the Extremadura region..
The Corredor Verde, which is a wildlife reserve area that was created after the disaster of the contamination spill from the Boliden mine in Aznalcóllar in April 1998, has proved to be the right habitat for the kites and has obviously been a major contributing factor to their increased presence and breeding in Doñana.
I hope that in a few years, conditions permitting, that you will also have a breeding population in Castellon and Tarragona.
Regards from Doñana.
John.
