ON SATURDAY 28 AND SUNDAY 29 THE CENSUS OF LIPU AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS AROUND VOLUNTARY FIELD STARTS
The project forecasts also monitoring activities of artificial nests installed by Lipu and the ringing for scientific purposes
26 april 2012 - “The Park for Lesser Kestrel” project in Alta Murgia National Park, financed by Park Corporation and with the collaboration of Lipu, starts officially. On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 there will be a first important step: the Lesser Kestrel annual census in various localities of Apulia and Basilicata.

The event takes place simultaneously in all the main towns where the Lesser Kestrel nests (among the towns of Park Gravina in Puglia, Minervino Murge, Altamura, Santeramo in Colle and Cassano delle Murge) and in particular near the dormitory trees where they meet in large number to spend the night. Only here it’s possible to admire hundreds of hawks circling all together, heedless of the loud and chaotic city traffic.

From the data collected in the last years it emerges that Alta Murgia National Park hosts about the 60% of Apulian- Lucan population of this species: the individuals registered in the 5 towns of the Park where is present the Lesser Kestrel are six thousand and the total individuals counted in the main 10 colonies of Murgian areas are eleven thousand.

According to the president of Alta Murgia National Park, Cesare Veronico, “ the census, that takes place in collaboration with various associations and tens of volunteers, is an event with an important scientific value but above all it allows to many people to know the lesser kestrel, by favouring the divulge and awareness campaign aimed at protecting this precious species”.
“Last year- continues Veronico - some pairs of lesser kestrel nesting in Andria were reported , and the notice, if confirmed again this year, would bring to 6 the number of Park towns where the Lesser Kestrel is present “
“The project forecasts important activities like the artificial nest monitoring installed by LIPU and the ringing for scientific purposes- declares the LIPU president Fulvio Mamone Capria – We continue also the awareness campaign and support to local corporations, in order to safeguard the nest of Lesser Kestrel in respect of regional regulations”. Some days ago a hurt adult lesser kestrel gifted with metal ring, reported by a citizen was found in Altamura. The timely intervention of a LIPU volunteer , in contact with the technicaI service of Park Corporation, emerged the importance of the finding. In fact, the reading of the code of the ring, after a convenient report to ISPRA (Institute for the Protection and Environmental Research) allowed to discover that it was a female lesser kestrel, ringed to the nest in 2010, when it was a chick , in the same colony of Altamura. The fact confirms the extreme fidelity to the belonging colony of the adults- highlighted LIPU. It has been noted with great regret that the building where this Lesser Kestrel was born , was recently completely renovated, preventing 30 couples which always reproduced themselves in that place from nesting.

PRESS AGENCY LIPU-BIRDLIFE ITALY - Tel. 0521.1910706 – 340.3642091