The management plan aims to purchase 77 hectares and restore crops to secure the future of this endangered bird, with only two males recorded since 2023.
The Generalitat has made public the management plan for the Dupont's lark (also known as the ricotí lark) in Catalonia, which includes the purchase of up to 77 hectares in the vicinity of the Timoneda de Alfés (Lleida). The goal is to expand the only habitat of this steppe bird in the community, which has been declared endangered and disappeared from the area between 2006 and 2015.
The document, processed by the Territory department, classifies the species' situation as "critical." Since 2023, only two males have been detected in the area, and the censuses are based on them because their song makes them easier to locate than females, in addition to being more numerous. According to Segre, the plan prioritises the acquisition of estates that are in direct contact with the current reserve to gain uncultivated land and convert it into suitable habitat.
The current critical area of presence is 140 hectares, of which 120 are publicly owned. The plan considers that it should be at least 200 hectares, so expanding the Timoneda's surroundings is a priority. The goal is to reach 25 males within a period of 10 years.
In addition to purchases, the plan includes converting agricultural and forest areas to renaturalise the habitat and restore its original appearance, before the clearings turned most of the land into crops. This includes planting native species, especially thyme, whose area has declined over the years. To this end, three possible extensions of land owned by the Generalitat in the natural reserve of Mas de Melons are being considered, with areas ranging from 98 to 161 hectares.
Sheep grazing plays a central role in the strategy. The plan states that this traditional activity should be the main tool for maintaining the habitat in good condition, and proposes measures to support it, such as the installation of watering points, pens, and fences.
"Sheep grazing must be properly regulated," the document states.
In parallel, a European project called Life Iber Ricotí plans to reintroduce Dupont's lark specimens in the Timoneda de Alfés and Mas de Melons by the end of 2027. The birds will likely come from the Aragonese or Castilian-Leonese steppes and will be moved in groups of five or six males and two or three females per year. The final number and origin will depend on genetic compatibility studies with the host population and the impact that extraction has on the donor populations.
The plan is currently on public display, so anyone can consult it and submit objections before its final approval. The expansion of the Timoneda de Alfés directly affects the Lleida area and the municipalities in the region, which will see land recovered for environmental use and traditional grazing promoted once again.
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