The Regional Secretary for Agriculture announced today on Faial that the Government of the Azores will provide the SOS BIRDS line by the end of the year so that citizens can easily report to Natural Parks occurrences with wild endangered birds or in need of care.

Luís Neto Viveiros stressed that this is a toll-free number (free calls from mobiles or landlines) that "will allow any citizen, if faced with a situation of this type of situation," to easily communicate with the services and call Nature Watchers.

Speaking during the release of a juvenile kite treated at Pico Wild Birds Recovery Centre, the Secretary for Environment stressed that wounded birds will be collected and referred, if necessary, to one of the two centres in the archipelago.

The juvenile kite was released today in Lomba dos Frades, Faial Island, in the same place where he had been saved from drowning in a water tank by a farmer who handed it to Faial Natural Park.

This was the first bird to be released after being treated at Wild Pico Wild Birds Recovery Centre, recently opened.

The release of the juvenile kite was attended by students from the "The kites" class of Santo António Childhood Home in the context of the environmental education programme promoted by the Regional at Schools.

Neto Viveiros stressed that the Azores are a place of excellence for wildlife, especially for marine and migratory birds due to its location in the centre of the North Atlantic.

"In addition to migratory birds, there are other species in the Azores, such as kites and Corey's shearwaters [the latter is the main subject of an annual campaign designed to save thousands of juvenile specimens], which deserve special attention from the Regional Government," the Regional Secretary said, adding that the investments in recovery centres "make sense" and "are relevant." 

Currently, the Wild Birds Recovery Centres are installed on Corvo, Western Group and Faial, Central Group. The Government has planned the creation of another centre on São Miguel, Eastern Group, in this current legislative period, thus providing all island groups with this type of infrastructure.

These centres are aimed at the treatment and recovery of regional wild birds, breeding birds, migratory or accidental birds that are rescued wounded or infirm. In addition, they also contribute to environmental awareness and education involving schools, local associations and the population in general.
 
The promotion of scientific knowledge on wild bird populations in the Azores, through the collection of biometric data and biological material for study is another goal underpinning the creation of these centres.

Students who participated in the release of a juvenile kite had the opportunity to learn that this bird has the scientific name of Buteo buteo rothschildi and is an endemic subspecies of the Azores that exists on all the islands, except Flores and Corvo.

Kites are also the only daytime prey species in the Azores, being, alongside Corey's shearwaters, the most emblematic bird of the archipelago. They live in wooded areas or grasslands with trees in the vicinity and on slopes and feeding on other birds, rabbits, rodents, insects and earthworms.

This bird species has a wingspan of 113-128 centimetres. It reproduces from April to August and lay from two to four eggs.

The incubation period ranges from 36 to 41 days. The first flight of the offspring takes place when they are about 50 and 55 days of life.