- The platform was installed under the guidance and with the collaboration of the Migres Foundation and will enable a pair of this species found in the area to nest.
- The population of this species is currently 18 breeding pairs that reared a brood of 26 chicks in 2022, which confirms that the osprey has established itself as a breeder on the Iberian Peninsula.
Endesa, together with the Migres Foundation, installed a platform in the Rías del Tinto area in Marismas del Odiel, to enable a young pair of ospreys to nest. The new infrastructure was installed in an unusual location, an Endesa high-voltage tower that has been adapted to enable this species to nest. The company has been developing projects since 2019 to promote the reintegration of this species in Andalusia.
For Endesa's Head of Environment in Andalusia and Extremadura, Luis Quesada, "this initiative is a sign of Endesa's commitment to the recovery of this species, in addition to the installation of nests in the provinces of Cádiz and also here in Huelva in the Marismas del Odiel, as well as monitoring the population and placing camera traps that enable us to photograph their behaviour".
One of the technician's at Migres, Carlos Torralvo, highlighted the importance of this initiative since "it is helping a pair of young ospreys that had chosen this area to nest, and platform will enable them to do it with total security".
The work of installing the platform was supervised by Migres and undertaken in coordination with the Ministry of Environment of the Regional Government of Andalusia by technicians specialising in high voltage and employed by e-distribución, a subsidiary of Redes de Endesa. They needed to use a boat and take advantage of the tide to access the high voltage tower. Once there, the infrastructure was installed at a height of 20 metres and "now we just have to wait for them to nest", concluded Juan Damas, Endesa's Head of high voltage in Huelva who supervised the manoeuvre.
This unique initiative was valued very positively by the delegate of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy, Pedro Yórquez, who remarked "how beneficial is the collaboration between the public administration and private enterprise", and acknowledged "the commitment and good work that the company has been doing for the conservation and protection of the environment in our province. Actions like this benefit the nesting of ospreys, one of the iconic species to be found in the Marismas del Odiel Nature Reserve, and meant that they were deservedly given the PAMA Andalusian Environmental Award. I appreciate the commitment and actions undertaken within the framework of the company's corporate responsibility and express my willingness to continue working in this line" he concluded.
Since last year, Huelva has had a stable population of ospreys with 8 pairs that nest here permanently, especially in the area surrounding the Odiel Marshes and in the Isla de Enmedio Nature Reserve where last year the first webcam in Andalusia was installed to monitor a breeding pair of ospreys as part of a project by Endesa and the Migres Foundation, executed in collaboration with the Regional Government of Andalusia.
Working through the Migres Foundation, Endesa also monitors the population through the banding of species and gives courses and talks to spread knowledge and promote greater environmental awareness.
Reintroduction of the osprey in Andalusia
After the release over 10 years in Andalusia of 191 osprey chicks from Scotland, Finland and Germany, the population has been settling in a number of reservoirs in four Andalusian provinces. Currently, the population already has 18 breeding pairs that have reared a brood of 26 chicks in 2022, which confirms that the osprey has established itself as a breeder on the Iberian Peninsula.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. It has also created a new line of business. Endesa X Way is fully dedicated to electric mobility. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribution, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR-related matters. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.