Overview
- Thirty birds bred at the Valsemana captive centre were released to bolster wild populations and only one remained alive about six months after release.
- Field tracking and postmortem data collected by regional technicians attribute 26 of 29 confirmed deaths to predators, with 12 caused by foxes, six by birds of prey and four by martens.
- The project used phased releases, weeks of acclimatization in enclosures, and GPS and VHF tags to monitor how captive-reared birds adapted and to record precise causes of loss.
- Officials say the high mortality nevertheless produced detailed data that will inform changes to how birds are prepared and where and when future releases occur.
- A report in one outlet cited a cost above $5 million for the operation but that figure appears in a single source and has not been corroborated by program records or officials.