News
The stallion called Dorcho, belonging to the Karakachan horse breed, and eight more mares and colts owned by Green Balkans have been involved in the process of restoring the Lesser Kestrel population - LIFE11 NAT/BG/360 project, implemented with the support of LIFE Financial Instrument of the European Union.
In this particular case, the role of the horses is far more responsible than being harnessed to pull or carry loads. The stud (herd of horses) has to make sure that the surroundings of the Lesser Kestrel release site in Sakar provide properly grazed pastures and short vegetation, where Lesser Kestrels can easily forage and hunt various prey species – insects, rodents, etc. The stud is grazing freely throughout the year, being constrained only by the thin cord of the electric fence. Thus, the grass vegetation in the area is grazed on a regular basis and the horses do not cause damages to agricultural crops. Green Balkans and local farmers have made an agreement to unite their studs and apply rotational grazing of pastures, in order to secure the maintenance of a bigger area in good agri-environmental condition, so that it could be used by Lesser Kestrels as a foraging habitat. This necessitates recurrent transhumance of the common stud of about 25 horses to different pastures constrained by electric fence. Thus, early in March, after the winter period, the horses were moved to a new spring pasture providing plenty of fresh grass and water. Later on, in early summer, the stud will be accommodated in another new pasture in the vicinity of the Lesser Kestrel hacking and release facility. Thus, the newly grazed areas will be made available as a foraging habitat for the juvenile birds.
Supporting and securing sustainable management of habitats is of particular importance for the successful recovery of the Lesser Kestrel as a breeding species in Sakar. In addition to Lesser Kestrels, other rare bird species, such as Imperial Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, etc. also hunt in open areas.
Rotational grazing of different areas is a traditional stock-breeding practice supporting the sustainable management of pastures, providing the necessary food for the animals, and, at the same time, preventing overgrazing and erosion. In the past, farmers used to move their herds from the mountain ridges in summer to the Thracian region and the Aegean coast in winter. This transhumance provided good foraging conditions throughout the year and supported the habitats of rare species in different regions.
For further information, please contact:
Gradimir Gradev
Project Manager
Lesser Kestrel Recovery LIFE11 NAT/BG/360
Mobile: +359 885 609 289
Е-mail : ggradev@greenbalkans.org
