Grants

Sea

SOM Menorca | Migratory birds Study 2025

9,000 awarded

TOTAL PROJECT COST – €12,600

IN PROGRESS

  • Organisation Applying for Funding: SOM Menorca
  • Project Duration: April 2025 to September 2025
  • Area of Interest: Sea.
  • Other organisations involved: IME-OBSAM, San Luis Town Hall.
Santi Catchot (SOM), Sara D'Eustacchio (Menorca Preservation) and Raül Escandell (SOM)

Project Summary:

The “Study of the migration of birds across the Mediterranean at the Isla del Aire” focuses on studying the spring migration of birds through the Mediterranean Sea, emphasizing the importance of small islands like Illa de l’Aire for the survival of these birds. The project aims to gather valuable data for current and future research and collaborate with other fields like herpetology and parasitology. Data from this project will contribute to scientific articles, especially those concerning climate change.

 

Main Objectives:

The Study has several objectives:

  1. Obtain data on migratory passerine species via scientific bird ringing.
  2. Study the migratory phenology of birds during prenuptial migration.
  3. Investigate the importance of small islands for birds crossing the Mediterranean.
  4. Observe changes in phenology and abundance of species in relation to climate change.

 

Expected results:

The Study aims to achieve the following Environmental outcomes:

  • Implement 3 management measures for protected areas according to the maritime-terrestrial Management Plan for the Isla del Aire 2022): Piccole Isole migratory bird study, Monitoring of Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) and monitoring of common storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) populations.
  • Control 2 breeding areas on the island and 6 nesting species: Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), common storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus), shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), yellow-legged kittiwake (Larus michahellis) and Audouin’s gull (Ichtyaetus audouinii)
  • Ringing and monitoring of an estimated 80 birds.

 

Social, economic and/or political outcomes:

  • Raise awareness of the need for this type of study through the presentation of the results at the Ornithological Congress to be held in Alghero (Sardinia).
  • Provide information to citizens visiting the island during the campaign on the natural values of the environment, indicating important areas for nesting marine species minimise possible negative
    impacts.
  • To contribute to capacity building through the training of ringers from different regions of Spain and the UK, who participate in the campaign as part of their training placements.
  • To increase the knowledge of approximately 20 students of the Master in Biology and Biodiversity Conservation of the University of Salamanca who will visit the Isla del Aire between the 3rd and the 11th of May, and to whom we will offer a workshop.
  • Contribute to increasing the scientific data on the Air Island through the publication of the Campaign Report.
  • Strengthen the institutional commitment to this environment with the involvement of Sant Lluís Town Council and the provision of the data collected to the OBSAM-IME.

 

Project Legacy:

The project aims for long-term continuity, as this data has been key in the development of the Maritime-Terrestrial Management Plan for Isla del Aire (2022). Therefore, the organisation aims to contribute data to assess the health of bird populations and the effectiveness of protection measures, ensuring the study continues for as many years as possible to maintain long-term data series. Additionally, they will disseminate the results obtained along with parallel studies.

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