Red kite census in Navarre, Spain, January 2018. English summary/Censo de milano real invernante en Navarra. Enero de 2018.

This year we have the honor to celebrate the 20th anniversay of the follow up of the wintering red kite population in Navarre, although our monitoring already started in the 92/93 season, likely the longest continuous series in Europe. Congratulations to everyone that contributed, we estimated on top of 600 persons and to the Governement of Navarre, Spain that supported this study all the time.

¡Great thanks to the best census team world-wide!

Navarra is a region of around 10.000 km² located in the northern part of Spain, along the Spanish/French border, and to the south of the Pyrenees. The Navarran population of Red Kites was first thoroughly monitored twice in the 90’s during the 92/93 and 93/94 wintering seasons and then continuously counted in the 2000’s for the last 20 winter seasons.

The results of the last wintering season are presented in this report. A full report and more detailed information can be found in The Red Kite in Navarra blog. The average of the population estimate for the Navarran population for the 20 census done is 2.026. The total count for the 2017/2018 wintering period was 2.105, remarkable recovery from the previous count in 2016, 1.668 and four year in a row showing un increase. Furthermore, this value is already on top of the average value.

The Navarran wintering population of Red kite this year was distributed among 23 roosting areas, each one having a variable number of roosting places. Like in the previous two years the complete south of the region was not collecting many birds to the extent that even if we could see some scattered individuals during the day we were unable to locate any roosting places at all. This happens after the extinguishing of the roosting places of the Ribera and the prior disappearing of the roosting places in the Zona Media. Some of the red kites seen during the day are likely roosting in the neighboring community of Aragón.

This population seems to be very dependent on the public dumping areas and this is the potential reason for the significant changes observed in the distribution of the kites inside the region in the last few winters when several dumping areas were closed and dumping activities concentrated in a few places.

We do believe that national and international collaboration is a key factor in the conservation of the different species and in particular of the red kite. This year once more time we will be promoting the coordination of the census at a national level and will prepare a report when the data are collected.

Figure 1. Wintering red kite distribution in Navarre, Spain, 2018

Figure 2. Historical distribution of the Navarran roosting places

Figure 3. Census results. Totals, estimation, and number of roosting places

Figure 3. Census results. Totals, estimation, and number of roosting places

Year	Population estimate	Count
1993	2181	2290,05
1994	2147	2254,35
2001	2142	2249,1
2002	2026	2228,6
2003	1673	2007,6
2004	2522	2522
2005	2137	2243,85
2006	2615	2667,3
2007	2175	2240,25
2008	1894	1950,82
2009	1866	1959,3
2010	1536	1612,8
2011	1724	1810,2
2012	1449	1521,45
2013	1671	1754,55
2014	1826	1917,3
2015	1.507	1.582
2016	1.627	1.741
2017	1.668	1.751
2018	2.105	2.210
Average	1.915	2.016

Support and collaboration

Habitat and Wildlife Guards Departments supported this census. Volunteers from the Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales Gorosti also contributed.

More than 50 individuals and at least the following persons collaborated in the census.

Almarcegui, Itziar Alzaga, Vanesa Areitio Oiarbide, Jolanda Azanza Burusco, Tere Becares, Mar Beltzunegi Lopez, Edorta Cebrian Zugarramurdi, Juan Deán Oroz, Gonzalo Deán Pinedo, Juan Ignacio Elola Ancizu, Pello Esain, Lidia Esarte, Jesús Eusa, Eduardo Gallardo, José Luís Gallardo, Juan Carlos Gobierno de Navarra, Dto. Medio Ambiente Goikoetxea, Zoraida Goñi, Juan Goñi, Lander Gorría Ansó, Montse Guarderío zona Aoiz/Lumbier Guarderío zona Estella Guarderío zona Baztán-Bidasoa Guarderío zona Tafalla-Sangüesa Guarderío zona Roncal-Salazar José Ardaiz Lanas, Adriana Lerga Ardanaz, Ibai Lerga Galar, Iosu Lizarraga, Alberto Lizarraga, José Luis López Liberal, Marta Manzanos, Javier Martinez Martinez, M. Paz Mendia Villanueva, Fermando Molinero Turrillas, Gaspar Montoia, Cristina Mugiro Altuna, Mikel Murillo Sanz, Sagrario Murillo Simón, Javier Olaortua, Isabel Otel, Juanjo Palacios Ferrer, Julia Purroy, Eduardo Rabina del Río, Enara Ramírez Vaquero, Eloísa Remírez, Eloisa Resa, Ángel Rodríguez, Inés Romera Garayoa, Izam Romera Tillaud, David Sanz Villar, Javier Sola Landa, Javier Tabar Urra, Mikel Torrea, Jeanette Torres, Javier Vergara, Javi