The study found that early-spring harvested crops, such as artichokes, offer a positive alternative habitat compared to those crops harvested in late spring. Form the press note: "[...] Intensive activities in artichoke fields, including field preparation, planting, and fertiliser and pesticide applications, occur during the winter when lesser kestrels are in Africa. Artichoke fields are abandoned after mid-April harvesting, when birds come back to breed. Prey availability in the abandoned fields is usually high and sustains lesser kestrels during breeding [...]"
You can read the Press Release here and the original work by Rosanna, here.
Carles Carboneras succesfully defended his Ph. D. titled: "Birds population dynamics in the wintering season: the case of the Mediterranean Gull, Larus Melanocephalus" at the University of Barcelona.
Photo: C Carboneras
Carles' work focussed on the wintering startegy and migratory routes of Mediterranean Gulls marked in several breeding areas in middle and northern Europe.
Indiviudal dolphin with increasing marking level M1,M2 and M3 (photo: S. Pérez)
Sergi Pérez has successfully defended his Ph.D thesis on the ecology of the common bottlenose dolphin at the protected area Kisite-Mpunguti in Kenya. The thesis, supervised by Prof. D. Oro and Dr. M Louzao, has been presented the University of Cadiz (Spain). You can read Sergi's work here.