The Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) once again supported the SOS Cory’s Shearwater Campaign, carrying out brigades to rescue injured juvenile shearwaters on the islands of Corvo, Vila Franca do Campo, Nordeste, Povoação and Faial da Terra. Around 900 birds were collected with the help of nearly 200 volunteers, according to a statement from SPEA.
On the island of Corvo, brigades were organized in collaboration with the Corvo Island Natural Park. There were 14 brigade captains and 15 regular volunteers, including children from the island, who collected 260 birds, according to the same press release.
In Vila Franca do Campo, 82 volunteers helped collect 488 birds, some of which were brought from other places, namely Água d’Alto and Lagoa. For the second year running, the installation of cagarro hotels by Vila Franca do Campo Town Hall “greatly helped the rescue and the involvement of anonymous citizens who also helped with the rescues,” says the SPEA.
In Povoação and Faial da Terra, around 50 birds were rescued in each place, also with the help of hotels set up by Povoação Town Hall. Finally, in Nordeste, between SPEA and the PSP of Nordeste, 35 birds were collected and released.

This year, as part of the Educating for Biodiversity project, training was given to groups of young people who also carried out brigades in other places, namely the Quarry in Nordeste, Maia, and Livramento.
Also, in Vila Franca do Campo, a triage and first aid protocol was tested on the birds collected to better assess what could be done to improve the welfare of these injured birds and their prognosis and release possibilities, explains the same press release.
SPEA would like to thank all the volunteers who contributed to this campaign and the partner organizations for their support in the campaigns and for the reduction in street lighting, which helps to reduce the number of bird falls. “We would also like to thank the Clube Naval de Vila Franca do Campo for providing the space, the Terra Azul company for its support throughout the campaign, especially at the beginning and end, ensuring daily brigades in the marina and fishing port area, and Solar Branco Ecoresort,” the statement concludes.

In Diário da Lagoa, Clife Botelho-director

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