Mollet de Peralada, in Alt Empordà, now has a new bioconstruction tower at La Vinyeta winery to help the lesser kestrel, a threatened species. The five-metre mud structure is designed to house around 20 pairs, and project organisers expect the first birds to arrive this spring.
The tower is the third of its kind in the area, after earlier projects in Roses and Palau-saverdera. It forms part of the work led by Paisatges Vius to support the lesser kestrel, whose numbers have fallen sharply in Catalonia. The project combines species recovery, sustainable building methods and agricultural landscape management. For more Catalonia news, see our news tag.
The upper part of the tower contains the nests, a design meant to protect chicks during their earliest stages of growth. By placing the nesting area higher up, the structure reduces the risk from ground predators and gives the birds a safer breeding site.
At La Vinyeta, the tower was built using the tàpia technique, which compacts damp earth in layers inside formwork. Oriol Balliu, a bioconstructor who works with raw earth and lime, said the structure is now ready to be used. An owl already lives in the tower, and Balliu said the kestrels should move in this spring through the release of chicks born in captivity.
The project also links the birds to the vineyard itself. Josep Serra of La Vinyeta said the kestrels eat invertebrates that can damage crops and help scare away sparrows when the grapes are ripe. The species therefore acts as a form of natural pest control, while also fitting into the farm's wider biodiversity work.
Guillem Mas, director of Paisatges Vius, said the network of towers is part of a broader recovery programme in Catalonia. The lesser kestrel is also supported by captive breeding at the Torreferrussa Wildlife Centre, which has run since 1986 and produces nearly 100 chicks a year from about 60 breeding pairs. Those chicks are then released at different sites, including in L'Empordà, using the hacking method.
The wider strategy also includes nest boxes in historic buildings and other nesting sites across the territory. In Castelló d'Empúries, one of Catalonia's most stable lesser kestrel colonies has already taken hold. Project organisers say the new tower at La Vinyeta could become another stable breeding point for the species in Alt Empordà. More on local environmental coverage is available on the news tag page.