Establishing a Lesser Kestrel Colony in an Urban Environment for Research Purposes

Raptors are top predators sensitive to changes and perturbations in the food chain, and as a consequence, they function as good bioindicators for environmental and ecosystem health. Captive breeding facilities have been created at research centers or universities to study biological traits of several raptor species (e.g., the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) has been used as a wildlife study model for over four decades, probably becoming one of the most studied raptors in the world; Bardo and Bird 2009). Among wild populations, the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) is one of the most studied raptors in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean Basin. It is a study model species for a variety of biological disciplines: genetics, physiology, migration, behavioral ecology, population ecology, and conservation biology in a broad sense. The goal of this report is to describe the development of a project to establish an artificial Lesser Kestrel colony on the roof of a biological research center located within an urban area (Seville, southern Spain). This colony provides many of the logistic advantages of a captive breeding facility, but uses wild birds; and consequently, will be useful for studies of the species’ biology and ecology. In addition, our colony will help conserve the species in an urban environment by providing predator-free nest-sites and reinforcing a decimated population.