Lesser Kestrel rehabilitation and reintroduction

[Actinia]

One of the perks of my job when I was an academic was to visit Sandwich Placement Students. One trip was to a centre for wildlife rehabilitation and reintroduction in Catalonia. There, one important project was a breeding programme for the endangered Lesser Kestrel. Pairs of birds are kept, and any eggs taken and the chicks reared by hand:

The feeder is my wife who accompanied me as a joint visit. The chick is being fed on minced mouse!

When fledged, the birds are kept in a spacious aviary before being released into the wild.

Unfortunately the lighting in these aviaries was just from a small opening at the top, giving a rather over-contrasty image.

 

[JacaRanda]

Very cool and thanks for sharing.

 

[Jacaranda_wifey]

Kestrels are by far my favorite bird!!! Im so jealous of your wife