The “Hacking” of Kestrels at Lo Grau de l’Inquisidor

At Herència Altés, for several years we’ve been collaborating with the Vallcalent Wildlife Centre (run by the Government of Catalonia), which is dedicated to rehabilitating wild animals that, for various reasons, have lost their ability to survive in their natural habitat.
Together, we carry out the reintroduction of kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) into our surroundings — an initiative that fills us with pride, as it combines our passion for nature with a deep commitment to restoring species that are part of our landscape.

The project is based on a technique called hacking, which involves raising young birds in a nest box placed in the area where we want them to settle. Over several days, the young kestrels get used to their environment, feed, and observe what’s around them until the moment comes to open the gate and let them fly free. In this way, once they become independent, they recognize the area as their home and are more likely to stay there.

This year, on June 12th, 2025, we received four young kestrels and placed them in the nest box at Lo Grau de l’Inquisidor, in Gandesa. There, we cared for and fed them until they were ready to start their new life.
On June 23rd, we opened the gate — three of them took off immediately, while the fourth preferred to wait a couple more days before taking its first flight.

In the following weeks, we often saw them flying over the estate, hunting and resting among the vineyards and field edges — a clear sign that they had adapted well to their new environment.
For us, seeing these birds once again fill the skies of Terra Alta is a wonderful reward: a way of giving back to nature a small part of what it offers us every day.

We will continue working to help this small kestrel colony grow and settle, contributing to the preservation of ecological balance and the natural richness of our landscape.