Objectives
This project helped to further research and conservation activities on two pelican species (the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) and the White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)), distributed in several distinct populations in south-eastern Europe, central Asia, and the Middle East, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa for the White Pelican. The forty years of research were conducted mainly in the Balkans (Greece, Montenegro, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania), but also sometimes outside the Mediterranean Basin, as in the Ukraine.
Actions and methodology
The two species of pelicans concerned have had to respond to major anthropogenic threats, particularly in the Balkans, which have resulted in a low number of nesting colonies and a long-term decline in their populations. In addition, inter-colony exchanges were generally very low, which made it essential to improve the demographic dynamics of each species and to increase their numbers.
To offset these issues, this project consisted in:
- Creating artificial nesting islets that have enabled new colonies to be established (as on Lake Kerkini in Greece),
- Protecting the nesting colonies that are very sensitive to disturbances,
- Maintaining permanent surveillance to limit local threats of human origin, both direct and indirect, including power lines and disturbances by local fishers,
- Educating the local stakeholders (fishers and hunters) who may disturb the pelicans,
- Acquiring scientific knowledge through monitoring of individual birds,
- Creating a group of international experts that work actively on these species.
The Tour du Valat was actively engaged throughout the life of this programme, having coordinated the IUCN Pelican Specialist Group in Europe for many years, working continuously with local partners in each country, particularly for the monitoring of colonies for which it set up protocols for ringing the birds, and monitoring and reading the rings.
Results
Project results were excellent, with an overall increase in the populations of the two species in the countries concerned, as well as a significant decrease in the anthropogenic threats.
The Tour du Valat was awarded the Botiaux-Dulac prize in 2013 to acknowledge its work aiming to protect and conserve threatened wildlife species (read more).
The conservation measures implemented have increased the pelican populations, particularly in Greece with a population of Dalmatian Pelicans on Lake Prespa that has benefited the entire region. Likewise, in 2017 the IUCN status for Dalmatian Pelicans was upgraded from vulnerable to near-threatened).
Future prospects
Following these excellent results, the Tour du Valat finalised its research programme on these two species. It is currently providing support based on its scientific expertise to the project conducted by Noé Conservation in Greece, Albania, and Montenegro (read more).
Team
- Alain Crivelli (1978-2015)
- Jocelyn Champagnon (since 2015)
Technical and financial partners
Armenian Society for the Protection of Birds (Armenia), Skadar Lake National Park (Montenegro), Karavasta Lagoon Nature Reserve (Albania), Society for the Protection of Prespa (Greece), Srebarna Nature Reserve et Le Balkan International (Bulgaria), Danube Delta Nature Reserve (Romania), Izmir Ege University (Turkey), Noé Conservation et the European Union.
Bibliography
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Catsadorakis G., Malakou M., Crivelli A.J. 1996. The Effects of the 1989/1990 Drought on the Colonial Waterbirds Nesting at Lake Mikri Prespa, Greece, with Special Emphasis on Pelicans. Colonial Waterbirds 19:207. doi: 10.2307/1521964
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Crivelli A.J. 1987. The ecology and behaviour of the Dalmatian Pelican, Pelecanus crispus Bruch, a world-endangered species. Final report to the Commission of the European communities 94.
Crivelli A.J. 1994. Why do Great White Pelican chicks die suddenly on Arel island, Banc d’Arguin, in Mauritania? Revue d’Ecologie (La Terre et la Vie) 49:321-330
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Dentressangle F., Poizat G., Crivelli A.J. 2008. Feeding frequency influences crèching age in the Dalmatian pelican, Pelecanus crispus. Journal of Ornithology 149:431–437. doi: 10.1007/s10336-008-0275-0
Doxa A., Robert A., Crivelli A., Catsadorakis G., Naziridis T., Nikolaou H., Jiguet F., Theodorou K. 2012. Shifts in breeding phenology as a response to population size and climatic change: A comparison between short- and long-distance migrant species. The Auk 129:753–762. doi: 10.1525/auk.2012.11213
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