- The initiative is a joint project between the Junta de Andalusia (Regional Government of Andalusia) and the European Union
- A beech marten has been sighted for the first time at Madrevieja
The project to recover the owl population in the south of Spain that is underway at the Madrevieja Environmental Station, run by Fundación Cepsa, has seen its first results — the first pair of the species now has three owlets.
This initiative was launched in partnership with the Regional Government of Andalusia and the European Union's bird ringing service, EURING. The service has allowed Madrevieja to use red rings with white numbers, a color combination not seen anywhere else in Europe, meaning that the birds ringed in San Roque will be easy to identify across the continent. The Madrevieja Environmental Station currently has the facilities to take care of adult breeding owls and has recently welcomed its first pair of this species, whose offspring will be released. It is also home to other owls provided by the Regional Government of Andalusia's Center for the Recovery of Endangered Species.
Thanks to Fundación Cepsa's Wildlife Monitoring Program at the Madrevieja Environmental Station, a species of mammal was spotted in the area for the first time on January 27: the beech marten. This animal is now one of seven carnivorous species that have been sighted at Madrevieja.
The Madrevieja Environmental Station is a research center and nature reserve owned by Fundación Cepsa, which has worked to restore the wetland since 2009. Since its inauguration in 2014, Ornitour has been working not only to conserve the area, but also to recover species and the passage of birds in this corner of Campo de Gibraltar, which is open to the public to enjoy and learn from.
