Preliminary assessment of the release of captive-bred Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinches Fringilla teydea polatzeki as a reinforcement population

ABSTRACTCapsule: The endangered Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea polatzeki has been bred in captivity with the aim of reinforcing wild populations. We released and monitored 26 males and 15 females between 2010 and 2012. Survival and reproductive success were similar between the reinforced population and a stable reference population, suggesting that the process could be useful for the conservation of the species.