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Résumé :
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Long-term monitoring revealed density-dependent regulation of a recovering population of White Storks in northern Spain. To analyse long-term changes in the population size, productivity and colony dynamics of the White Stork at the northern edge of its breeding range in Spain. We used breeding data from 1948 to 2024 to obtain population trends, reproductive output and spatial nesting patterns (proportion of isolated versus colonial nests, and nest substrate) in Álava, in northern Spain. The population showed a three-phase trajectory: a decline until the early 1980s, followed by a rapid growth through the 2010s, followed by a recent stabilization or slight decline. Colony formation increased with population size, indicating a density-related response, although colonial nesting did not improve reproductive success. Productivity declined with increasing population size and over time, and was higher in nests with presumed site fidelity. Our findings suggest that density-dependent factors were now regulating this White Stork population, consistent with patterns reported in other parts of Europe. Anticipated reductions in food availability from landfill closures could limit future population growth. Long-term data are essential to understand population dynamics and to guide adaptive conservation in changing landscapes.
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