Enhancing the vertebrate biodiversity in a Campus

Setting nest and resting boxes for birds (passerines and swifts) and bats in the Campus of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona.

The settlement of vertebrate communities is essential to achieve sustainable and healthy cities, as pursued by the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 and, specially, 15 (target 15-5). The vertebrate fauna responds to urbanization processes in a diversity of ways, adapting to this environment and its resources through flexibility in its behavior. However, one of the factors that limits the settlement of this type of fauna in parks, gardens or newly built buildings is the scarcity of holes and cavities where troglodyte birds or bats can build their nests or take shelter. The objective of this project is to increase the availability of these resources by installing nest boxes for birds and resting boxes for chiropterans on the Campus of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona. The boxes are expected to be adopted by eight of the bird species that inhabit the area and by one species of bat. All these species are protected and some are in clear recession (house sparrow, tree sparrow and common swift). It is to be expected that, by adopting the boxes, the bird and bat populations in the area that, at the moment, uses this environment only as a feeding area, will increase and stabilize. The proposal aims to improve not only the habitat for birds and bats, but also to create a habitat for motivational and observational learning, where students can carry out monitoring activities of the bird and bat populations by carrying out practices or final degree projects, contributing to their scientific and professional training. This will also contribute to increase their awareness of the need for conservation. In this sense, informative materials will be prepared on the activities carried out in order to reinforce this last mission.

The project can be extended to the entire University campus and to other surrounding areas, such as gardens and parks in the city of Barcelona. In addition to fulfilling the objectives of sustainable development, the project has a remarkable teaching potential.

40 nest and resting boxes for birds and bats and supplementary material 900 2 endoscopes 60 Total 960€ The necessary material for the construction of 40 boxes and two hanging poles. The endoscope will allow us to observe which boxes have been occupied by birds or bats and to monitor the process of reproduction in the case of birds.

As an outdoor activity, once the boxes are installed (by one person) we do not expect that the restrictions due to COVID could affect the development of the project.