Conservation measures that directly target wetland conservation are most likely to help waterbird communities adapt to climate change, according to a study recently published in the journal Biological Conservation[1]
When confronted with global warming, waterbird communities are responding to changes in their environment. The main strategy observed among these species is to shift their range to cooler regions, either by moving towards the poles or by gaining altitude.
This shift is particularly visible among migratory waterbirds, whose high mobility allows them to quickly change their wintering grounds when temperatures change. For example, the common cranes are increasingly wintering in the Camargue region of France, rather than flying south to Spain or crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
However, although waterbirds are changing their geographical distribution, this adaptation is still too slow to adapt to climate change. This growing gap is creating a ‘climate debt’ for species, whose environments are becoming increasingly out of synch with their biological needs.
Adapting to climate change is a crucial challenge for scientists and natural area managers, who need to develop new conservation approaches. Often referred to as “climate change adaptation strategies for biodiversity”, these approaches will become essential in the coming years.
This study assessed how Natura 2000 site management carried out under LIFE projects helped waterbird communities adapt to global warming. It drew on data from 26 EU countries and more than 2,300 sites located in Natura 2000 sites receiving LIFE funding.
The results show that conservation measures that helped waterbirds adapt the most were those directly targeting wetland conservation. These measures enable adaptation twice as fast as other conservation measures targeting waterbirds directly, other species or habitats other than wetlands.
‘The results are encouraging because they also suggest that, although the vast majority of LIFE projects did not explicitly target climate change, they enabled species to adapt to rising temperatures,’ notes Elie Gaget, statistical ecology researcher at the Tour du Valat and co-author of the article.
Previous studies have shown that protected areas, particularly those with management plans, contribute most to the adaptation of waterbird communities to global warming, while the destruction of natural habitats is detrimental to adaptation. This study now demonstrates that the conservation of waterbird habitats is a key parameter for their adaptation to global warming.
Study reference
Leonie Jonas, Jon E. Brommer, Martin Jung, Michal Baláž, John J. Borg, Luka Božič, Preben Clausen, Antoine Derouaux, Koen Devos, Cristian Domșa, Sándor Faragó, Niamh Fitzgerald, Valeri Georgiev, Fredrik Haas, Menno Hornman, Christina Ieronymidou, Tom Langendoen, Aleksi S. Lehikoinen, Kim Lindner, Leho Luigujõe, Włodzimierz Meissner, Tibor Mikuska, Blas Molina, Filipe Moniz, Zuzana Musilová, Danae Portolou, Gwenaël Quaintenne, Juhani Rantanen, Laimonas Šniaukšta, Antra Stīpniece, Norbert Teufelbauer, Marco Zenatello, Elie Gaget
Interactions between climate warming and management actions determining bird community change in protected areas,
Biological Conservation, Volume 308, 2025, 111213, ISSN 0006-3207, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111213[2].
Highlights from the 2025 Festival of the Camargue and Rhône Delta — in pictures
As part of the 2025 edition of the Festival of the Camargue and Rhône Delta, three field trips were organised by the Tour du Valat to explore wetlands. The Foundation also took part in a roundtable discussion on the theme of hunting, which is available as a podcastas a podcast at the end of this article.
Visit to the Tour du Valat Regional Nature Reserve
On the morning of 28 May, the first group set off to explore the Tour du Valat Regional Nature Reserve. Marion Lourenço, an eco-guard at the Tour du Valat, accompanied participants through the site’s diverse environments that coexist on this exceptional site, through the sansouïres, the temporary pools and the montilles, until they reached the St-Seren marsh.
Alongside guided nature observation and wetland discovery, the visit also provided an opportunity to discuss the different strategies used to manage this remarkable natural heritage site.
Organised as part of the participatory science activities of the Rest-Chir’Eau project, this field session allowed 20 participants to take part in a scientific protocol aimed at assessing bat activity along a former alluvial branch of the Rhône.
After a presentation on the close ties between bats and wetlands, the participants split into teams stationed at strategic points to count bats at dusk. To close the evening, Pauline Rocarpin, project coordinator, led a guided listening and observation session focused on the chiropterans.
Visit to the Raphèle marshes: discovering a Mediterranean peatland
Guided by Grégoire Massez, curator of the Raphèle Marshes, Antoine Gazaix, peat specialist, and a member of staff from SYMCRAU, participants visited part of this peatland, usually closed to the public, which is home to many rare and threatened plant species.
Following the canals, the 6-kilometre tour offered a journey through this little-known wetland, exploring its history, functioning, and natural treasures.
Radio Panel: “How can hunting and biodiversity coexist?”
In the Camargue, hunting plays a unique role in the management of natural areas. As part of the revision of its charter, the Camargue Regional Park invited festivalgoers and local stakeholders to discuss the relationship between hunting and biodiversity in the context of climate change.
Tour du Valat, in partnership with Turkish researchers, has just published the results of an in-depth study on the effects of land-use changes in the Gediz Delta, Türkiye. Conducted between 2019 and 2021, it offers valuable insight into the conservation challenges faced by Mediterranean wetlands.
A delta under pressure
Located on the Aegean coast of Western Türkiye near Izmir, the Gediz Delta is one of the most important wetlands in the Eastern Mediterranean. Recognized as a Ramsar Site since 1998, this vast 80,000-hectare area hosts significant biodiversity consisting of over 299 bird species recorded. Like many Mediterranean wetlands, the delta’s natural ecosystems have undergone profound changes due to the urban developments from the Izmir metropolis (4 million inhabitants) and intensified agriculture over the past century.
Key findings
The study, published in BMC Ecology and Evolution, assessed between 2019 and 2021 the effects of three landscape types—natural, agricultural, and urban—on the composition of breeding bird (90 species) and reptile (14 species) communities in the Gediz delta.
The findings show that bird and reptile community composition is differently influenced depending on the type of landscape, particularly due to species’ habitat specialization:
Natural landscapes host bird populations five times larger than agricultural areas (231 compared to 45 birds on average) and support 27.8% of species found exclusively in these habitats.
The effects of agriculture are nuanced: although it generally reduces bird biodiversity, it provides substitute habitats for some aquatic reptiles like European turtles that use irrigation canals.
Urban and agricultural landscapes host more generalist species[1] [5] than natural ones, to the detriment of specialist species[2] [6], which represent only 3.3% of the species found in these environments.
Issues of particular concern in the Camargue
This study is particularly relevant to understanding ecological dynamics in Mediterranean deltas. The authors draw parallels with other regions, noting: ‘Unlike in the Camargue, where rice paddies provide alternative habitats for certain waterbirds, the dry crops of the Gediz Delta offer no such ecological compensation’.
Furthermore, the use of Joint Species Distribution Models (JSDM) enabled precise quantification of how species’ habitat preferences explain their response to landscape changes—an innovative methodological approach that can be applied to other wetland areas.
Based on their findings, the authors make several recommendations to preserve biodiversity
In the short term:
Halt urban expansion in the delta and extend conservation activities beyond the strictly protected areas
Ecologically restore degraded natural habitats, particularly declining freshwater areas
In the medium term:
Support local agroecological transitions to create landscape mosaics that are more biodiversity-friendly.
Improve the management of irrigation channels using natural materials
Develop ecological corridors between urban and natural areas
Contributions beyond the study area
This study also helps fill a knowledge gap about Eastern Mediterranean wetlands, as most existing research traditionally focuses on Western Europe and North America.
This work paves the way for new comparative research across Mediterranean deltas. It also provides robust scientific data to guide conservation policies in the Gediz Delta, supporting local managers and decision-makers.
The methodology developed could be applied to other Mediterranean wetlands facing similar pressures, contributing to a broader understanding of the impact of land-use changes on biodiversity.
__________
[1][7]Species with a very broad ecological niche, which can thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions and can utilize a wide array of food resources.
[2][8]Species that depend on a specific type of resource or habitat, making them highly vulnerable to disturbances affecting that resource or habitat
Study reference
Arslan, D., Gaget, E., Çiçek, K., Olivier, A., Galewski, T., Döndüren, Ö., Guelmami, A., Ernoul, L., & Béchet, A. (2025). Contrasting effects of agriculture and urbanisation on bird and reptile communities in a Mediterranean delta (Gediz Delta, Türkiye). BMC Ecology and Evolution, 25, 58. doi: 10.1186/s12862-025-02390-y[9]
A crowdfunding campaign to support a Dragonfly: the Dark Spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma)
A project led by Tour du Valat, aiming to restore a temporary brackish pond in the Camargue—a key habitat for the survival of the rare and threatened Lestes macrostigma—has been selected by the new crowdfunding platform “Flamingo.eco.”
Flamingo,[10]a new crowdfunding platform dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands, has just launched! This initiative seeks to raise awareness of these ecosystems while giving the public a chance to support concrete, high-impact environmental projects. The first project chosen by the platform is led by Philippe Lambret, project leader for dragonfly conservation at Tour du Valat.
Get involved in the conservation of Lestes macrostigma by joining Flamingo’s upcoming crowdfunding campaign
In the Camargue, the dragonfly Lestes macrostigma is now considered vulnerable. This heritage species relies on a very specific habitat: temporary brackish ponds. These dynamic wetlands, which naturally dry up in summer, are often mistakenly seen as degraded or lacking ecological value. As a result, many have been destroyed, along with the unique biodiversity they support.
To help preserve Lestes macrostigma, Tour du Valat is leading a restoration project for a temporary brackish pond at the Mas Neuf site, north of the Vaccarès lagoon. The goal is to recreate the ecological conditions needed for the species to reproduce, by restoring both its habitat and the plant it uses to lay its eggs: the sea club-rush (Bolboschoenus maritimus).
What specific actions will your support enable?
Act 1 – Rebuilding the Plant Habitat (2026–2027)
In spring 2026, sea club-rush bulbs will be transplanted into the target pond. Scientific monitoring will track the plant’s establishment, growth, and spread.
Act 2 – Reintroduction of Lestes macrostigma (2027–2029)
Once the vegetation is well established, stems containing L. macrostigma eggs will be introduced into the pond. Monitoring will focus on larval emergence, adult egg-laying behavior, and the initiation of a natural reproduction cycle to assess the success of the reintroduction.
Act 3 – Transfer and expansion (starting in 2029)
If successful, the method will be replicated at other sites across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie regions. The goal is also to evaluate whether this restoration protocol can be applied on a broader scale.
Act 4 – Knowledge Sharing and dissemination (2030)
All results will be compiled into a technical guide for conservation management, co-written with partners of the Plan National d’Actions en faveur des libellules[11]. This reference document is intended to assist other managers of natural areas in similar efforts to restore and reintroduce dragonfly populations.
👉 Want to be part of the adventure?
Support the Flamingo crowdfunding campaign and help Tour du Valat bring this ecological restoration project to life!
Philippe Lambret[13], Project Leader Odonata Conservation at Tour du Valat
Hugo Fontès[14], Research Engineer in Plant Ecology at Tour du Valat
Tour du Valat 2024 activity report is online!
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Tour du Valat’s 2024 activity report is on line! As every year, the Tour du Valat is publishing its activity report, illustrated with magnificent photos and presenting our main achievements over the past year, the fruit of numerous collaborations with our partners, whether institutional, scientific, technical or financial.
More broadly, this report bears witness to our commitment, alongside you, to the necessary reconciliation between humans and nature. Exploring and deciphering the links between living things, experimenting, inventing solutions for tomorrow, talking, sharing and acting together. This is what drives us, and what you can discover in the pages of this annual report.
For each thematic team, find a project highlighted in the form of a focus:
Studying the degree of sedentarity of the European eel within a Mediterranean lagoon complex I p14-15
Persistence of lead contamination in waterbirds in the Camargue I p18-19
Improving the hydraulic management of a previously recreated temporary marsh: Cassaïre I p22-23
Contributing to sustainable management of coastal zones, reconciling ecological restoration and adaptation to climate challenges I p28-29
Mobilising civil society organisations to preserve Mediterranean wetlands I p32-33
We hope you enjoy your reading!
👉 [15]Download[16] the Tour du Valat 2024 activity report
You can find all our activity reports in the media library[17] section of the website.
Publication of the 26th Camargue-Crau-Alpilles Ornithology Report (2013–2018)
This 26th ornithological report[18] covers the avifauna across a broad definition of the Camargue area (including Plan-du-Bourg, Grande Camargue, and Camargue Gardoise), as well as the Crau plain and the Alpilles massif. It continues a long-standing tradition that began in 1930, shortly after the creation of the Réserve Botanique et Zoologique de Camargue, which later became the Réserve Nationale de Camargue.
The report is based on databases maintained daily by several organizations operating in the region, including LPO PACA, Meridionalis, Tour du Valat, and the Parc naturel régional de Camargue, among others. These databases are largely populated by observations from local ornithologists who monitor many species annually. They are supplemented by occasional visitors’ sightings and long-term monitoring programs conducted by Tour du Valat and the Marais du Vigueirat.
Between 2013 and 2018, over 900,000 observations were recorded—more than double the number collected for the previous edition.
In the context of the climate crisis and the decline of many bird populations, these thousands of observations help improve our understanding of the biology of the species found in the Camargue-Crau-Alpilles region and the long-term trends in their populations.
This scientific publication also reflects the collaborative work of multiple institutions and numerous passionate contributors across the Camargue region, whose national and international interest for avifauna is well established.
During the 2013–2018 period, nine new species were recorded in the Camargue-Crau-Alpilles area:
Reeves’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii)
African Black Swift (Apus cafer)
Caspian Plover (Charadrius asiaticus)
Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)
Willow Tit (Poecile montanus)
Semicollared Flycatcher (Ficedula semitorquata)
White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis) — pending official validation
Siberian Pipit (Anthus japonicus) — the subspecies of Buff-bellied Pipit (Anthus rubescens) observed in the Camargue has now been elevated to species status, following decisions by the Commission de l’Avifaune Française in 2023 and 2024.
From May 16 to 18, 2025, a naturalist inventory was conducted at the Petit Saint-Jean agroecological farm. Seventy participants—both amateur and professional naturalists—gathered over the weekend to document the biodiversity of this site, located in the Gard Camargue and owned by the Tour du Valat.
Documenting the ecological richness of Petit Saint-Jean
The aim of this inventory was to complement the existing biodiversity records for the site. Participants carried out both diurnal and nocturnal surveys across various taxonomic groups: terrestrial and aquatic vegetation, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, nocturnal insects, pollinators, spiders, and more.
Over the course of the weekend, several species of Community interest and iconic Camargue species were observed, including:
A small bee, Dasypoda dusmeti, which had not been recorded in France since 2006;
The Orange-spotted emerald, a species of dragonfly listed on the IUCN Red List;
The little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), a heron species newly nesting in the marshes of Petit Saint-Jean.
Enhancing the value of collected data
The data collected will be shared with the ‘Réensauvager la ferme’ network and the Géoferme platform[19] to improve understanding of the links between biodiversity, agricultural practices, and landscape.
By documenting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, this collaborative approach also helps assess the effectiveness of agroecological practices. It also serves as a platform for exchange between naturalists and local farmers, and for the sharing of knowledge about agroecology.
Located between marshes and fossil dunes on a former coastal ridge, the Petit Saint-Jean estate offers a mosaic of habitats typical of the Camargue, including marshes, montilles, sansouïres, and a pinion pine forest. Farm activities combine viticulture (13 grape varieties), arboriculture, agroforestry, market gardening, and pastoralism (sheep, cattle, and horses).
All while promoting biodiversity through the installation of a range of agroecological infrastructures such as hedgerows, grassy strips, wildlife shelters and nesting boxes, etc.).
Hugo Ferreira, a PhD candidate at Tour du Valat since 2020, defended his thesis and was awarded an honorary distinction on March 13, 2025, in Aveiro, Portugal. The thesis is entitled:
« Demographic processes of the Eurasian Spoonbill in the face of global change »
Hugo conducted his PhD under the scientific supervision of Dr. José Alves, principal researcher at CESAM, University of Aveiro, co-supervised by Jocelyn Champagnon, research director at Tour du Valat, and in collaboration with Tamar Lok from the NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research.
Global changes are occurring at an alarming rate due to continued and increasing human development. Anthropogenic activities not only have a profound direct impact on the ongoing loss of habitats and thus biodiversity, but also have indirect effect, for example on the ability of species to respond to global changes. Migratory birds, which are currently experiencing high and fast global declines, are among the taxa most affected by both climate global changes and habitat loss. However, not every species in this group is declining and some appear to be recovering, at least locally, such as several waterbird species in Europe. Understanding how these recovering species are able to cope with ongoing environmental changes, both in terms of climate and habitat, can provide insights into their resilience.
A notable example of population increase after years of decline is the Eurasian spoonbill,
a partial-migratory species that ranges from the East-Atlantic Coast to the Southeast Asia. In this thesis, Hugo investigated the role of environmental conditions, behaviour and experience in influencing the response of this waterbird to global and local changes driven by direct and/or indirect anthropogenic factors. Specifically, this thesis is comprised of six empirical chapters aiming at (i) exploring how breeding performance is associated with environmental conditions experienced locally; (ii) assessing the impact of anthropogenic factors throughout the annual cycle and across age groups; and (iii) understanding the effect of migratory behaviour on survival and productivity.
This thesis explores how a moderately specialised waterbird species can benefit from current global changes by exploiting new opportunities, such as using invasive species as new food sources and using wetlands managed for economic and recreational activities. It also highlights how improved performance (e.g., breeding and migration), driven by age and social cues from older conspecifics, further enhances spoonbill’s ability to thrive in changing environments. Finally, it discusses how quickly a currently positive scenario displayed by waterbirds may change in the face of severe wetland degradation or of a lack of adaptive flexibility to ongoing global changes.
⬇️ Download the full thesis at the bottom of the page.
Hugo also wrote six articles in his thesis, three of which have already been published:
1) Ferreira HRS, Alves JA, Jiguet F, Duriez O, Blanchon T, Lok T, Champagnon J. 2024. Role of protected areas for a colonial-breeding waterbird in a fragmented landscape throughout its annual cycle. Landscape Ecology 40:6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-024-02017-5 [20]> Plus d’info ici[21]
2) Ferreira HRS, Hadden AC, Champagnon J, Lok T, Vittecoq M, Alves JA. 2025. Presence and potential impact of anthropogenic nesting materials on a colonial breeding waterbird. Science of The Total Environment 964:178588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178588[22].
In this study, we quantified the presence of anthropogenic nesting materials (plastics) in spoonbill nests. Several data collection efforts were conducted, the main one using photographs to limit disturbance. Plastics were primarily found in the spoonbill’s nest lining and consisted mainly of plastic sheets. The proportion of plastic increased throughout the season. No link was found between the plastic proportion and breeder age or hatching success.
3) Ferreira HRS, Champagnon J, Alves JA, Lok T. 2024. Relationship between wintering site and survival in a migratory waterbird using different migration routes. Oecologia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-024-05518-x[23].
A study used ringing data to assess survival differences in Eurasian Spoonbills based on their wintering areas. Long-distance migrants had the lowest survival, independently of the flyway taken. Additionally, as they age, spoonbills seem to better cope with migratory challenges and wintering conditions as no differences in apparent survival among wintering strategies were detected during subsequent years.
Press release – Lead has a hard life in the Camargue marshes
Nearly 20 years after their ban, lead ammunition remains a persistent threat to the health of humans and birds.
The Camargue, an 85,000-hectare wetland in the Rhône delta, is a site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. During the winter, it is home to hundreds of thousands of waterbirds, most of which then migrate to the breeding grounds of Northern Europe. The spectacular concentrations of birds make it a popular area for birdwatchers and game hunters.
Despite a ban in France on hunting with lead ammunition in wetlands since 2006, waterbirds are still being contaminated by lead pellets. This is the finding of a new scientific study published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice.
Analysis of more than 2,000 gizzards collected with the help of a network of 38 partner hunters shows that ducks continue to ingest lead pellets, which they use to grind food. One bird in eight analysed was affected, a rate that remained the same before and after the ban. Nor did the number of lead pellets per gizzard decrease over time.
This contamination reflects the persistent use of lead ammunition by many hunters. Although the level of toxic ammunition has fallen since 2006, the collection of nearly 4,000 cartridge cases fired in the Camargue shows that 50% of the cases found had contained lead shot.
According to Arnaud Béchet, director of research at the Tour du Valat and first author of the study, “it’s rather frustrating that after 60 years of work at the Tour du Valat that leaves no doubt about the harmful effects of lead ammunition, we find that the 2006 law has had almost no effect on the contamination of birds in the Camargue”.
The results of this new study show that contamination remains very high in certain species, such as the Mallard and the Northern Pintail, with more than one bird in four contaminated by at least one lead pellet. A single lead pellet in the gizzard is enough to increase a duck’s mortality rate by 20% from one year to the next. ‘In the Camargue, we found more than 100 pellets in a single mallard gizzard,’ notes Anthony Olivier, an engineer at the Tour du Valat and co-author of the study. So the ducks wintering in the Camargue continue to die of lead poisoning. But this contamination also poses a risk to human health, particularly for those who regularly eat game.
Although it has been eliminated from paints and fuels, 44,000 tonnes of lead are dumped into the environment every year in Europe through hunting and fishing. Yet alternatives do exist. As far as hunting is concerned, non-toxic ammunition is now available at prices that rival those of lead ammunition, and it has been shown that the performance of steel pellets is equivalent to that of lead pellets when fired at distances of less than 30 metres. ‘Even though many hunters now use non-toxic ammunition, it’s obviously still difficult for others to change their habits’, Anthony Olivier concludes.
Current regulations are very difficult to enforce, as they prohibit hunting in wetlands with lead ammunition, but allow lead to be carried and lead to be hunted for terrestrial game. According to Jean Jalbert, Managing Director of the Tour du Valat: ‘Denmark, which has completely banned lead ammunition, is the only country where contamination of waterbirds has fallen drastically. France and other European countries need to follow their example if we really want to stop contaminating our natural areas and endangering human health’.
A petition[24] to encourage the European Union to follow the recommendation of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA[25]) along these lines has been launched by Birdlife International and is being relayed in France by the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO): available here[26].
DOI : Béchet, A., Olivier, A., Cavallo, F., Sauvajon, L., Champagnon, J., du Rau, P. D., & Mondain-Monval, J.-Y. (2025). Persistent lead poisoning of waterfowl in the Camargue (southern France) 10 years after the ban on the use of lead ammunition in wetlands. Conservation Science and Practice, e70045. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70045[27]
The Tour du Valat
The Tour du Valat is a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, founded 70 years ago by Luc Hoffmann, who has developed his research activities for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands with the constant aim of reconciling man and nature. Convinced that the preservation of wetlands will only be possible if human activities and the protection of the natural heritage go hand in hand, the Tour du Valat has for many years been developing research and integrated management programmes that encourage exchanges between wetland users and scientists, mobilise a community of stakeholders and promote the benefits of wetlands to decision-makers and socio-economic players.
A study conducted in the Camargue reveals that Eurasian spoonbills use both moderately and highly protected wetlands. The complementary nature of land management methods in the Camargue seems to benefit the species, particularly the management of hunting marshes and of nature reserves protected according to the annual cycle.
The fragmentation of landscapes represents a major challenge for the conservation of mobile and specialised species such as waterbirds. For this reason, protected areas play an essential role in the preservation of biodiversity. A recent study conducted in the Camargue on the Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) reveals that this species manages to benefit from current global changes thanks to its ability to exploit suitable habitats, whether they are managed in a more or less interventionist way. The monitoring of 91 spoonbills equipped with GPS beacons between 2016 and 2023 highlights significant differences in the spatial use of the territory according to the age of the individuals, while raising the question of the species’ dependence on heavily human-managed natural areas.
Age-related spatial preferences
Analysis of geolocation data shows that juvenile and immature white spoonbills tend to prefer areas with moderate protection status over highly protected areas, unlike adults, who do not show a marked preference and use both. Young spoonbills also behave more exploratively than adults, using a greater number of different sites throughout the year.
According to Hugo Ferreira, the study’s first author: ‘This different behaviour between juveniles and adults could be explained in several ways, which could potentially be cumulative: as a strategy to avoid competition for food with more experienced adults, as a phase of exploration necessary for the acquisition of knowledge about their environment, or simply as a lack of experience when it comes to identifying the most beneficial areas.’
The functional complementarity of private natural areas and highly protected zones
Among the protected areas favoured by young white spoonbills, and also regularly frequented by adults, are numerous wetlands managed by the private sector, particularly for hunting. Through practices such as flooding in summer and maintaining water levels, their management aims to increase the attractiveness of these wetlands for waterfowl, which indirectly favours the presence of abundant food for spoonbills.
In a context where landscapes are becoming increasingly fragmented and wetlands are generally deteriorating, these natural areas, although less protected, play an important role for populations of non-hunted species such as the Eurasian spoonbill, but also potentially for glossy ibises, black-tailed godwits and other waders. Indeed, while highly protected areas ensure a low level of disturbance for Eurasian spoonbills, their management often aims to allow the ecosystem to persist in its natural Mediterranean rhythm with prolonged droughts at the end of summer, potentially reducing the abundance of food available to waterbirds at certain times of the year.
Conclusion
This study illustrates how the Spoonbill, a moderately specialised species, manages to benefit from current global changes thanks to its ability to exploit suitable habitats within fragmented landscapes.
However, Jocelyn Champagnon, Director of Research at Tour du Valat and co-author of the study, points out that ‘the role of protected areas prioritising biodiversity issues and aiming to conserve priority species that are often more specialised in the Mediterranean climate plays an irreplaceable role, not only for these species, but also for less specialised species such as spoonbills.Indeed, their protected status and the implementation of dedicated 5- to 10-year management plans guarantee all protected species access to stable areas within fragmented landscapes that are subject to rapid changes.’
Ferreira, H.R.S., Alves, J.A., Jiguet, F. et al. Role of protected areas for a colonial-breeding waterbird in a fragmented landscape throughout its annual cycle. Landsc Ecol 40, 6 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-024-02017-5[20]
Eoldist: a web application to avoid bird collisions with wind turbines
Energy transition is accompanied by a significant expansion of wind farms, raising major environmental issues, notably the protection of biodiversity. A new publication, in which the Tour du Valat took part, presents Eoldist, a web application designed to estimate the necessary detection distances for automatic bird detection systems approaching wind turbines, in order to limit collisions.
Automatic detection systems (ADS) are increasingly being used to limit the impact of wind turbines on birdlife. However, it is crucial to determine at what distance these systems should detect birds to enable effective shutdown of the turbines before the birds arrive. Eoldist responds to this problem by providing an estimate of the detection distance to be expected, based on several parameters:
Birds’ speed of flight,
The time needed to stop or slow down a turbine,
The specific characteristics of the species concerned.
The application is based on a comprehensive database containing the flight speeds of 168 bird species in the Western Palearctic, collected from scientific publications and unpublished GPS data. To estimate turbine stopping times, field tests carried out at seven wind farms determined that the average time required to slow turbines down to a rotation threshold of 3 or 2 revolutions per minute was 32.2 and 38.8 seconds respectively.
A useful tool for wind turbine operators
Eoldist allows the user to select a species from the database, the characteristics of the wind turbine and a rotation threshold (3 or 2 revolutions per minute); it then calculates the time needed to reach the selected threshold and provides a distribution curve for the detection distance needed to avoid collision. The application is available free of charge and should help the wind energy industry, ADS providers and environmental agencies to define bird detection requirements using ADS that are compatible with the biology of the target species.
This approach aims to contribute to a better cohabitation between the development of renewable energies and the preservation of biodiversity.
Fluhr J., Duriez O., Blary C., Chambert T., Almasi B., Byholm P., Buitendijk N.H., Champagnon J., Dagys M., Fiedler W., Francesiaz C., Jiguet F., Lee S., Millon A., Monti F., Morcelet L., Nathan R., Nolet B.A., Nuijten R., Pilard P., Ponchon C., Roulin A., Santos C.D., Spiegel O., Schalcher K., De Seynes A., Spanoghe G., Wikelski M., Žydelis R., Besnard A. 2025. Eoldist, a Web Application for Estimating Cautionary Detection Distance of Birds by Automatic Detection Systems to Reduce Collisions With Wind Turbines. Wind Energy 28:e2971. doi: 10.1002/we.2971[31]
3 questions for … Gaëtan Ploteau, in charge of “Trois Marais” Natura 2000 site at Camargue Regional Nature Park
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Gaëtan Ploteau, project manager at Regional Natural Park of Camargue, answers our questions about the “Trois marais” site, which encompasses the wetlands between the Alpilles, the Crau and the Grand Rhône, as well as the tasks of a Natura 2000 project manager in a project such as the Peatland atlas project.
1. The “Trois marais” site, for which you are Natura 2000 project manager, is involved in the Peatland Atlas project. What are the specific features of this area?
The “Trois Marais” Natura 2000 sites are located to the east of the Grand Rhône, between the Camargue, the Crau and the Alpilles. Unlike the insular Camargue, which is supplied with fresh water by the Rhône, these sites depend mainly on water coming from the river Durance.
The coexistence of two distinct hydrological regimes favors a wide diversity of habitats and species, some of which are unique in the Mediterranean. On the one hand, nutrient-rich water from agricultural irrigation canals feeds the wetlands, creating a system similar to that of the Camargue. This water encourages the development of habitats such as reedbeds and salt meadows.
On the other hand, water from the rising Crau water table is purer and fresher, enabling the emergence of rare Mediterranean habitats, such as wet meadows and Marisque marshes. This water table is 70% fed by the gravity-fed irrigation necessary for the cultivation of Crau hay, an activity essential to the preservation of the Crau marshes, just as rice-growing is for the island Camargue. These marshes are home to the main potential peat habitats. On the “Trois Marais” site, peat has accumulated in Mediterranean wet meadows, marsh marshes and, in some cases, reedbeds.
2. In your experience, what is the role of a Natura 2000 project manager? What is the added value in this Peatland atlas project?
Being a Natura 2000 project manager means above all acting as a mediator between public policies in favor of biodiversity and local stakeholders. My mission is to facilitate territorial dialogue by building bridges between environmental issues and the realities of the various local stakeholders.
My role is to preserve habitats and species of Community interest, while supporting local stakeholders in this process. My approach is based on identifying the specific needs of the area, in order to reconcile the preservation of biodiversity with socio-economic activities such as hunting and farming. It’s essential to understand these issues through the eyes of the stakeholders themselves. We don’t always agree, but we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that these are the people who shape the land, and that their experience is invaluable. I’m not the one who uses the flail mower in the middle of winter, or installs the fences in the marsh: they’re the ones who take concrete action in the field. It’s essential to find solutions together, without imposing constraints unilaterally. Only a consensual and respectful approach will achieve lasting results in terms of biodiversity protection.
A good example of this collaboration is the management of overgrowth. We have succeeded in reaching agreement with hunters and manadiers on a common objective. In recent years, the proliferation of ash trees has led to the gradual closure of natural habitats. Thanks to financing obtained in partnership with the commune of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, we set up a flail mowing operation to remove these ash trees, with the aim of restoring a habitat of Community interest: the Mediterranean wet meadow. This action, unanimously approved, benefits both the hunters, who gain in hunting area, and the manadier, who recovers grazing space. This project is a good illustration of our approach: an action driven by local stakeholders and built together.
As territorial coordinator, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many of the farmers and private owners of the “Trois Marais” site. My role, as part of the Peatland Atlas project, is to act as an intermediary and facilitator to establish initial contact with the various parties involved in the project. Although we’ve had a few refusals, the majority of landowners are receptive to this approach. Many of them know their land and marshes inside out, and their expertise in the field is a valuable asset: it allows us to understand the area better, to refine our thinking and to save time in the field.
As far as peatlands are concerned, the main challenge today is to preserve what remains. These ecosystems play a fundamental role as carbon sinks. In fact, preliminary feedback from the field suggests that there are still some active peat bogs in the area. In addition to preserving these remarkable habitats, we note that respectful agricultural practices, maintained for decades, have contributed to their conservation. Highlighting this aspect, both among farmers and public authorities, could encourage greater awareness of the links between agriculture, habitat preservation and carbon storage.
The owners of the “Trois Marais” land also include public managers : it would be appropriate to create a network bringing together these different players, both public and private, in order to encourage the sharing of experience, the exchange of knowledge and the dissemination of best practices in the management of wet meadows and cladia.
3. As a Natura 2000 project manager, what are the advantages of being involved in this project?
The Natural Regional Park of Camargue is currently in charge of the prefiguration of a strategic wetland management plan for the Camargue delta territory. Its aim is to provide a global vision of the state of wetlands, their functions and the pressures exerted on them. The prefiguration of this management plan is scheduled for the end of 2025. With this in mind, we feel it would be interesting to include new protection issues that have not yet been highlighted. As far as the Trois Marais sites are concerned, the “peat bog” issue seems crucial.
Located in industrialized areas and at the intersection of agricultural and environmental issues (EDF canal project, high-voltage power lines, etc.), these sites are of major ecological interest. Unlike the “Camargue island”, which is often highlighted, the “Trois Marais” site are less firmly rooted in the collective imagination, despite their richness in terms of “natural heritage”. Conversely, following on from the “Grand Port Maritime de Marseille”, the Crau marshes have often been impacted by major development projects, despite the exceptional biodiversity they host. At a time when the decarbonization of industry seems to be a priority for the public authorities, taking account of the peatlands’ carbon storage function could help to raise the profile of those areas, and even unlock funding for conservation projects.
