Project to increase range and population size of the priority species

The project's target species, the Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch (Fringilla polatzeki), colloquially known as "pinzul" and "pinero", is considered in the Annex I of the Birds Directive as a "priority species”. At the beginning of the project, its population was estimated to be about 300 individuals distributed between the Inagua pine forest (source population; 279 individuals, CI 95%: 195 - 430) and the Central Summit pine forests (24 individuals minimum), and by the end of the project, the population is now around 430 individuals spread out across Inagua (362 CI 95%: 257 – 489) and the Central Summit (68 CI95%: 43 – 109), according to 2019 census. The project took place in the central part of the island of Gran Canaria, where the action area is completely located within the Natura 2000 Network. The actions have been focused around the creation of a viable population of blue chaffinch in the Gran Canaria Summit, through the release of 107 individuals that come from captive breeding and the wild population of Inagua, as well as the creation of ecological corridors to reduce habitat fragmentation. These corridors aim to connect the Inagua pine forest with the Summit, and the summit pine forest with Cruz de Tejeda, by the planting of 62000 canarian pines (Pinus canariensis) and 3000 lucerne trees (Chamaecytisus proliferus). Furthermore, there has been monitoring of the wild population and released individuals of blue chaffinch and a control of introduced predators, capturing 166 feral cats. Outreach actions have also taken place to let people know about the blue chaffinch in Gran Canaria, and the LIFE+Pinzón project.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Carrascal, Luis M., Nogales, Manuel, De Oñate, Ruth, Rodríguez, Felipe
Other Authors:	Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (España)
Format:	informe técnico biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	2019-12
Subjects:	Fringilla polatzeki, Gran Canaria, Blue chaffinch, Increase range,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/10261/216374
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