Europe’s most endangered species of duck is principally being killed off by illegal hunting, overhead power lines and cats, according to a study involving the universities of Alicante (UA) and Miguel Hernández in Elche.
Programmes to restore the population of the marbled teal will fail unless the high mortality rate from unnatural causes can be reduced by at least 40%, it concludes.
Although Spain pays a great deal of media attention to endangered species such as the Iberian lynx, the brown bear and the imperial eagle, the seven species at critical risk of extinction are far less well-known, lament the researchers, also including some from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) IMEDEA centre and the Balearic Islands university.
Full report in Friday’s Costa Blanca News
