News: Short & sweet / archive
April to June 2024

After a slow start to the breeding season in the cool, wet spring, our conservation buildings are now full of young birds

In our 37 species conservation towers and buildings across Germany, the breeding business got off to a slow start due to this year’s rather wet and cool spring. But now, at the beginning of summer, our species conservation structures are full of bird life, and the nurseries are well-populated. 
 
It gives us great pleasure to report that, for the first time in years, almost all our species conservation towers are occupied by broods of Common Kestrels and Barn Owls.
 
House Sparrows are highly flexible and creative occupants of nesting cavities. They also use House Martin nests and niche nestboxes as stylish Sparrow residences.
 

Starlings will stop at nothing to build nests. They even crawl through the narrow oval flight holes of the Common Swift nestboxes and fill the extensive space inside completely with nesting material.

Unfortunately, this year, we are experiencing a massive decline and the absence of Tree Sparrows, which still bred regularly in our species conservation towers last year. At present, we can only speculate about the causes. Was it the wet spring, the increasing lack of insects to forage or the accumulation of pesticides used in intensive agriculture?
 
Increasingly, Coal Tits, Blue Tits and Nuthatches are also finding favour with our cat-, marten- and raccoon-proof buildings and breed here undisturbed and well-protected.
 
Unfortunately, the increasingly unused nest boxes and artificial swallow nests by Common Swifts and House Martins reflect the creeping decline in the populations of these species.
 
The breeding bird surveys in our conservation buildings will continue in June! Subsequently, you will find the data of the recorded bird broods on the pages of the respective species protection towers on our homepage, immediately following the bird photographs, by clicking on the button for species documentation.
 

This year, the French/German TV programme ARTE and the German regional station SWR will also present our dedicated migratory bird conservation and wildlife rescue projects in Sicily in two separate documentary films.

ARTE will broadcast the TV documentary (42 min) "Sicily - Italy's sunny island in the Mediterranean" on Friday 17 May 2024 from 6:30 pm and again on Saturday 25 May 2024 from 10:30 am.

SWR will also be featuring two of our migratory bird and wildlife conservation projects in Sicily in its TV film series "Dream Destinations" (90 min) on Sunday, 15 September 2024 at 8:15 pm. Your support and viewership are crucial in spreading awareness about these important initiatives.
 

In April of this year alone, our Bird Guards counted more than 110 migratory bird species during their weekly bird counts in our Pantani Cuba & Longarini Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Among the migratory bird species observed and scientifically documented were four new bird species that have not been observed in our Pantani Migratory Bird Sanctuary since 2013: Lesser Flamingo, Corncrake, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin and Collared Flycatcher.

Since the start of our survey work in 2013, our bird species checklist has grown to 253 species. This is the best reward for our 11-year migratory bird conservation project commitment here on the southeast coast of Sicily, which involved extensive land purchases and habitat restoration and renaturation work.

The most common migratory birds in April were the Whinchat with almost 100 individuals in one day and an unusually high number of Pied, Collared, Spotted Flycatchers and Wood Warblers.

All observations of these migratory bird species were made in our protected areas, where we had planted hundreds of olive, almond and carob trees and Mediterranean wild shrubs in recent years. This again emphasises the importance of our biotope structure improvement measures, particularly in the hillside slopes bordering the Pantano Cuba lagoon to the east, where intensively cultivated greenhouses stood just a few years ago.

2nd Cyprus Spring Bird Protection Camp Report
Fortunately, the bird poaching and hunting front on Cyprus remains relatively calm this spring, and millions of migratory birds have so far been able to continue their onward flight from Cyprus to Central and Northern Europe largely unscathed after resting and foraging here.
 
Our bird conservationists have not remained idle due to the reduced bird-trapping activity but have used the time to systematically locate and remove ground nets, which are increasingly being set up in orchards and other plantations. These ground nets are principally intended to keep snakes out of the properties!
 
Sadly, these ground nets are also death traps for songbirds, hedgehogs, and other smaller wild animals. Our bird conservationists have freed not only songbirds but also hedgehogs from the ground nets and have dismantled several hundred metres of nets that bring suffering and death to wildlife.




Results of the Cyprus Spring Bird Protection Camp (26.03 – 17.04.2024)
 
Bird trappers

• 101 illegal bird trapping sites located and monitored (172*)
• 11 active bird trapping sites discovered (6*)
• 59 illegal limesticks dismantled (35*)
• 2 trappers caught red-handed and criminal charges preferred (2*) 

(*) Results: 3 weeks of spring bird protection camp operations 2023
 
As in spring last year, our bird conservationists have relocated at short notice to one of the major Greek islands to combat the illegal spring hunting of the European Turtle Dove and Golden Oriole that has been practised there for many years. 
 
Subsequently, we will return to Cyprus with a reduced number of bird protection conservationists.

Second report from the Bonelli’s Eagle and Lanner Falcon Raptor Protection Camp 2024
In mid-April 2024, after a wide-ranging search, we identified just under 60 occupied eagle eyries and are systematically expanding our protection work accordingly. The provisional eagle protection camp centre now receives almost daily reports of Bonelli’s Eagle and Lanner Falcon offspring in the monitored eyries and nests.

As the eaglets grow up, and due to the already high temperatures, the parents are already beginning to hunt for food in pairs in flight for short periods of time. This is beneficial for the young eagles' food supply.

The first Lanner Falcon chicks have also begun to hatch, but the number of actively occupied falcon nests is alarmingly low. Of the more than 100 Lanner Falcon nest sites known to our conservationists - some of which are historical - only 15 nests appear to be occupied by breeding pairs. However, we can only determine this more reliably when the young falcons begin to sit up in the nests in the coming weeks.

A success story in the protection of migratory birds on Cyprus, thanks to the tireless and selfless efforts of many …

The results of the first phase of the joint 2026 Spring Bird Protection Camp, organised by the Foundation, Pro Biodiversity, and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) on Cyprus, provide compelling evidence of what can be achieved through sustained collaboration, years of on-the-ground operational work, and the ongoing support of dedicated donors.

 Between 23 March and 10 April, a total of 129 known trapping sites were checked, yielding a remarkable result: only one single site could still be confirmed as active. Illegal trapping in the spring, therefore, appears to have come to a virtual end in Cyprus, and our latest findings paint a clear picture:

• 129 trapping sites were monitored
• 1 trapping site was confirmed as active
• 1 trapper was caught red-handed and reported to the police
• 17 nets were confiscated
• 184 limesticks were dismantled
• 34 steel traps were seized

Before the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the situation regarding the illegal trapping of migratory birds was far more dramatic, with a large number of active trapping sites and tens of thousands of migratory birds being killed every year, including in spring.

The case of the trapper who was caught also highlights the importance of maintaining a sustained presence of enforcement teams on Cyprus. Working in collaboration with government game wardens, the trapper was observed setting up limesticks and was subsequently arrested. In addition to the trapping equipment currently in use, a large stockpile of further traps, including 184 limesticks, 17 nets and 34 steel traps, was discovered and seized. The offender now faces a heavy fine, which, for the illegal trapping in the spring alone, will exceed 9,000 euros.

The aftermath of previous illegal activities is also still evident: numerous dead birds were found in an abandoned net from the winter season. Fortunately, a Blackcap was rescued alive just in time.

The second phase of the bird protection camp on Cyprus is already firmly planned. It aims to ensure that the progress made in the fight against the slaughter of migratory birds in spring is sustained and to continue rigorously preventing any remaining illegal bird-trapping activities.

On the 15th of April 2024, in the Hesseln suburb of Halle, North-Rhine Westphalia, we officially opened our 37th species conservation tower for the commencement of its new and significant purpose
Many species of wildlife that inhabit buildings, such as the Common Kestrel, Barn Owl, Eurasian Jackdaw, House Martin and Barn Swallow, Common Swift, House and Tree Sparrow, Black Redstart, White Wagtail and bat species, which used to co-exist happily with humans, are now increasingly missing a roof over their heads. House renovation and energy-saving measures destroy thousands of nesting, breeding and hiding places for structure-dwelling wildlife species every year, often out of ignorance but also due to a misunderstood sense of orderliness.
 
Sterile gravel 'gardens', hostile to nature and the climate, are turning residential areas into a hell on earth for wildlife diversity. An increasing and unnatural quietness now surrounds our homes and yards, and, with the loss of indigenous wildlife, we rob our children of valuable nature experience and, simultaneously, a significant part of their quality of life.
 
The sad result is that many of the bird species that were previously welcomed as heralds of spring are now on the Red List of breeding birds in Germany. The Common Starling and the House Martins are already considered endangered, and even the Tree Sparrow is now on the 'early warning list' of endangered breeding bird species!
 
Since 2005, we have consistently implemented our species conservation strategy for structure-dwelling bird species, bats, and insect species such as hornets and butterflies, creating sustainable, secure, and undisturbed building refuges. This has been achieved through the conversion of disused or decommissioned transformer tower stations, deep well buildings and pumping stations into species-appropriate conservation structures. These have established themselves as regional biodiversity survival islands.
 
The Hesseln transformer tower was built in 1963 for local electricity distribution and decommissioned in 2022. After its energy supply function ended, it was scheduled for demolition.
 
Our conversion of the disused transformer tower into a species conservation tower gives it a new, meaningful, and progressive function for practical species conservation in urban areas. The conversion began in late autumn 2023 and, after a break due to bad weather, was completed just in time for the start of the 2024 breeding season. Informative illustrated display boards will be erected by the beginning of May 2024.
 
Such a conversion costs money. Our Foundation Pro Biodiversity (SPA), recognised as a non-profit organisation, financed the costs of the new species protection tower of almost 40,000 euros primarily from private, earmarked donations. T.W.O GmbH & Co. KG, the former owner of the transformer tower station and the district of Gütersloh, contributed a total of 5,500 euros to the financing of this artistically designed species conservation lighthouse project. This is also intended to inspire and motivate local people citizens to implement practical species protection measures in their own homes.

1. Cyprus Spring Bird Protection Camp Report 2024
As we had hoped, the spring of 2024 is still relatively peaceful on the bird poaching and hunting front in Cyprus. Due to the efforts of our conservationists on the frontline of bird slaughter on the island, millions of migratory birds are beginning to reap the harvest of almost 15 years of bird protection camp operations by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and the Foundation for Biodiversity (SPA).
 
However, the low level of bird poaching activity does not make it easy for our conservationists to catch the still-active bird trappers red-handed. The latter now spend only a short time at their illegal trapping sites due to the costly risk of being caught by our conservationist teams.  
 
Nothing is more expensive for bird trappers than being caught and reported by the police or Game Fund officers at the scene of the crime, complete with active limesticks, mist nets, and migratory bird victims.
 
The first bird trapper caught had 32 actively set limesticks but was able to remove and hide the trapped birds before the police arrived. In a second instance, our conservationists managed to film another trapper setting out 24 limesticks before the arrival of the police. He was reported to the authorities.
 
Both trappers were previously unknown to us, but now, to their irritation, they are on our books. The anticipated fines of up to 9,000 euros each will hopefully have a lasting deterrent effect.

Results of the Cyprus Spring Bird Protection Camp (26.03. - 09.04.2024)
 
Bird Trappers

• 80 illegal bird trapping sites located and monitored (145*)
•   7 active bird trapping sites identified (3*)
• 56 illegal limesticks dismantled (24*)
•  2 bird trappers caught red-handed and criminal charges laid (2*) 

(*) Results data: 2 weeks of Cyprus Spring Bird Protection Camp operations 2023
 

This year's Bonelli's Eagle and Lanner Falcon raptor conservation camp in the mountainous regions of Sicily is now in full swing
The breeding year 2024 got off to a very promising start for the Bonelli's eagle population on Sicily. By mid-March 2024, 51 occupied breeding territories had already been recorded. Our eagle conservationists will undoubtedly find more active breeding pairs of eagles during this year's eagle and lanner falcon conservation camp.

The first Bonelli's Eagle chicks hatched at the end of March, marking the beginning of the hot phase of our eagle protection camp. This phase includes continuous daily surveillance of the eagle nests, where the risk of young eagles being stolen by poachers is greatest.
As with the migratory bird protection camps on Cyprus, we have also upgraded our protection technology for the eagle protection camp on Sicily to document and intercept potential eagle poachers as they approach the eyrie sites and in the immediate vicinity.
It is particularly helpful that our volunteer eagle protectors also include forest police officers who can take immediate official action on site.

The population and breeding pair situation of the Lanner Falcon, a beautiful falcon species found only in southern Europe and Africa, is very sad, not to say dramatic, on Sicily. This falcon species is highly susceptible to disturbance during the breeding season, and the parent birds often abandon their clutch and young even when disturbed in the wider area around the nest.

These disturbances are not only caused by many bird-of-prey photographers but, in particular, by bird-of-prey poachers, who realise horrendously high prices for Lanner Falcon eggs and young on the bird-of-prey black market. The Lanner Falcon population on Sicily is collapsing, and this negative trend is intensifying. Only by extensive financial and operational conservation investment will it be possible to prevent the extinction of this rare falcon species there!

It is a pleasure to report that, for the first time this year, our Lanner Falcon conservation activities in Sicily and the population survey of last year's breeding pairs have led to the ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) lending us their support.

Following a joint evaluation of this year's Lanner Falcon protection camp's results and experiences, we expect more effective police and robust political support for future Lanner Falcon protection activities on Sicily.