A project has been launched for the conservation and study of the lesser kestrel and the imperial eagle in the border areas of Bulgaria and Turkiye, the Green Balkans environmental organization said on its website. The NGO is implementing the project in partnership with Turkiye’s Dogaya Donus Dernegi [Back to Nature Association].
The project is funded under BESTbelt, which provides EU resources for conservation projects within the framework of the European Green Belt [the shared natural heritage along the line of the former Iron Curtain]. In the course of two years, the project will focus on the two protected bird species, whose key habitats are located in border areas.
Within the project, the environmental organizations will plant trees that are suitable for nesting, install artificial nesting platforms, place rings and satellite transmitters on birds, among other activities. Information and educational campaigns will be conducted on both sides of the border. One of the main goals is to share successful environmental protection practices with Turkish partners, Green Balkans said.
In mid-January, environmentalists, volunteers, and students from Trakia University in Stara Zagora (South Central Bulgaria) carried out field observations of several imperial eagle nests near Edirne. Interestingly, imperial eagles often use electric power polls to nest in Turkiye, while in Bulgaria none of the registered nesting couples do that.
The lesser kestrel is a small falcon who helps in the fight with agricultural pests. In Bulgaria, its conservation and study are carried out within the LIFE for Lesser Kestrel project.
The imperial eagle is among Bulgaria’s largest eagles and one of the rarest birds here. EU-funded projects in the last years have contributed to an increase in the number of nesting pairs but it still remains low.
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