Exotic Pine Plantations and the Conservation of the Threatened Red KiteMilvus milvusin Gipuzkoa, Northern Iberia

We describe red kite Milvus milvus nesting habitat in Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, northern Spain), a region under high human pressure where the traditional countryside has been extensively substituted by Monterey pine Pinus radiata plantations. All nests were 10–30 m up in Monterey pine stands 20–40 m tall. Forest patches were mono-specific and most comprised from 100 to over 1,000 trees. Vegetation cover around the nests was typical of the region, with a mosaic of meadows and forests, including exotic tree timber plantations. The fact that the red kite in Gipuzkoa breeds in Monterey pine plantations does not mean that this habitat constitutes a priority for its long-term conservation. However, its replacement by native forest should entail a gradual substitution of the old pine stands to guarantee the availability of sufficient tall, mature trees offering good conditions for red kite nests.