Andalusia launches recovery program for the Andalusian partridge

The Junta de Andalucía launched a recovery program for the Andalusian partridge, a small bird that became the first avian species to go extinct in Europe during the 20th century.

Researchers and conservationists are working to bring the species back after it was officially declared extinct in 2018. The project mirrors the successful conservation efforts used for the Iberian lynx. The recovery effort began after a colony of the bird was discovered in Morocco in 2009.

The Junta de Andalucía and the governments of Spain and Morocco collaborated to import 18 birds to serve as a founding population. These birds are currently being raised at the Zoobotánico de Jerez in Jerez. The facility recently produced its first six chicks from the imported group. The bird faced extinction primarily due to habitat loss from coastal urban development and agriculture in Andalusia. Hunters also targeted the species because it resembles the common quail.

Because the Andalusian partridge is a cryptic species, it was very difficult to track. Experts note that the bird has unique biological traits, such as the male being responsible for incubating eggs and feeding the chicks while the larger female searches for a mate. The next phase of the project involves increasing genetic diversity by repeating the breeding process four more times. Conservationists must then identify suitable habitats for reintroduction into the wild.

While the birds previously lived in Doñana, current urban expansion makes finding a safe environment a challenge. The project also establishes a second conservation center at the Parque Zoológico de Aïn Sebaâ in Casablanca to support the Moroccan population.