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The lecture on Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in Biscay was held yesterday with a good turnout.
The team led by Iñigo Zuberogoitia has spent more than two decades studying several aspects about the nesting population of Peregrine Falcon in Biscay. One of the aspects hi highlighted at the beginning of his lecture and he repeated along the same, was that in order to protect one species it is necessary to make a research that goes beyond the knowledge of the distribution and specific status. If those researches do not go more deeply into the knowledge, it is only known a partial picture of what it is happening and that could lead to take measures that are damaging for its protection and conservation.
In the case of the Falcon, its monitoring along 16 years has allowed to know the distribution of the species in Biscay and the population tendency in all those years. Besides, he put special emphasis on the study of the breeding parameters for a better understanding of those tendencies. It is important, since for example, the last years have been characterized by a continuous rain in March (incubation) or April (newborn or small nestlings), and they may cause the death of offspring of that year and also of breeding females. This could happen because of the continue exposure to humidity and the constant heat loss and in case of disease, both females and males could run the risk of die. This fact, so important during the last years, has increased the mortality of the breeders and has approached the population replacement rate to the rate detected during the oil sick of Prestige.
He also explained the characteristics of feeding, the intraspecific and interspecific behaviour, and he added anecdotes about hunting they have seen during the monitoring of the couples, relations between different falcons and their neighbours or another digressing falcon and their behaviour related to other species that share their same habitat.
Finally, he described the management and conservation measures that should be taken to preserve the Peregrine Falcon according to all that it is known about the species.
Attendees could also clarify their doubts receiving convincing answers on behalf of the speaker.
In conclusion, it was a very interesting lecture where besides enjoying, we could also learn a lot about this wonderful species. |
