On June 11, the LIFE Salinas technical team participated in the ringing of juvenile individuals from the Gaviota de Audouin colonies located in the Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar Regional Park, a day organized by the staff of the Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia. In total, 125 specimens were marked, which were also fitted with remote reading rings that will allow obtaining information on their survival and movements after future observations. It should be noted that the number of chickens in the colony was higher, although these were not marked for their small size. In addition, the Toxicology research group at the University of Murcia carried out its usual collection of samples to study the contaminants present in the populations of this species.
The survival of chickens detected in the colony has been higher than that observed in 2019, when fewer than 50 juveniles were located. Although it is true that the productivity (number of chicks per couple) in breeding colonies of long-lived seabirds is not usually very high, we must bear in mind that there may be large inter-annual variations, in most cases associated with changes in availability food or adverse weather events.
Despite the successful development of the day, the team was left with a bad mouth taste after detecting the death of 6 specimens as a result of their coupling with sports lines, a threat that unfortunately we observe relatively frequently.
During the development of the LIFE Salinas project, we will continue to develop monitoring and conservation actions aimed at improving the populations of waterbirds in the Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar Regional Park. We will inform you!