- Up to 19 specimens released in 2020
- The initiative is a joint project between the Junta de Andalusia (regional government of Andalusia) and the European Union
The project for to recover the Tyto alba barn owl in southern Spain began last year with the acquisition of a breeding pair on loan from the Junta de Andalusia (regional government of Andalusia), which had a first clutch of six eggs, surpassing this success with another clutch of eight eggs later on. The project also received a donation of another 14 eggs from a private individual. This allowed the year 2020 to close with the release of 19 owls with their corresponding rings from the Madrevieja Environmental Station. The project has also added another pair of owls, one of which was born at the station itself, so there will be two pairs in 2021.
This initiative is carried out in collaboration with the Junta de Andalucía (regional government of Andalusia) and the European Union bird ringing service, Euring, an organization that promotes international collaboration in the study of birds, particularly in Europe and along the African-Eurasian flyway. Euring has allowed Madrevieja to use red rings with white numbers, a color combination not seen anywhere else in Europe, meaning that the birds ringed at this site will be easy to identify across the continent.
The Madrevieja Environmental Station is a research center and nature reserve owned by Fundación Cepsa, which has worked to restore the wetland since 2009. Since its inauguration in 2014, Ornitour has been working not only to conserve the area, but also to recover species and the passage of birds in this corner of Campo de Gibraltar, which is open to the public to enjoy and learn from.