Rivista Italiana di Ornitologia

ERRATUM. Update on successful nesting of bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in the Lanzo Valleys, Piedmont region (NW Italy)

Maurizio Chiereghin, Alessandro Prezzi, Fabiano Sartirana — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This erratum corrects the article published in Research in Ornithology, 93 (2): 57-60, 2023 (DOI: 10.4081/rio.2023.690).

Österreichischer Brutvogelatlas 2013-2018

Flavio Ferlini — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Throughout history there have been periods so exceptional that even today they are known by nicknames that immediately recall their memory...

Habitat selection and hatching success of the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos in Italy

Roberto G. Valle — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Data were collected on the breeding biology of Common Sandpipers (Actitis hypoleucos) nesting in the middle course of Brenta River (NE Italy) in 1997. Birds occupied the territories from the end of March and laying mainly occurred in the second and third decade of April. Nests were found on sandy gravel beds, in the immediate vicinity of running water. Hatching success was low (58%), mostly due to predation by mammals. Human disturbance by sun-bathers dramatically restricts the areas suitable for breeding and therefore requires protection measures.

[Nesting of the Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) in the province of Turin]

Guido Cattaneo — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

[In 2023 a new nesting site of Black Stork has been discovered for the first time in the Torino province, North-West Italy. Like most European Black Storks nesting in forest, this nest was built in a tree; in this case a Sessile Oak close to waterbodies such as rivers, streams and ponds.]

[Short Communication in Italian]

First record of cannibalism by an adult on a chick in the Purple Heron

Sergio Simbula, Nicolantonio Agostini — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This short note reports the first documented case of cannibalism in the Purple Heron performed by an adult bird.

Feathered diplomacy: when birds become main factors of research design and geography on Vigur Island

David Pierre Milesi-Gaches — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Vigur Island, situated in Iceland’s Westfjords, is renowned for its diverse avian species, such as Atlantic Puffins and Black Guillemots, and its marine inhabitants including Harbour and Grey Seals. Despite its openness to tourism, the island is a subject of ongoing conservation efforts. This opinion paper argues for a more holistic approach to research on the island, highlighting the complex interplay between human activity and the island’s ecosystem. It critiques the current, often narrow, research methodologies that fail to fully account for the intricate relationships between species and their environment. The paper calls for a re-evaluation of habitat classification to incorporate the significant impact of avian populations and stresses the importance of adhering to Icelandic laws that mandate minimal disturbance to wildlife. With seasonal closures and careful management practices like eiderdown collection, Vigur Island serves as a model for balancing human interests with ecological integrity. This opinion advocates for adaptable, comprehensive research strategies that, while illustrated through the case of Vigur, should be applied universally, urging scientists to embrace broader perspectives in environmental studies globally.

Movements of translocated Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) from Sardinia to Corsica call for the transboundary management of an expanding vulture population

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The conservation of Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), the most abundant and widespread vulture in Europe, has been the focus of two LIFE project in Sardinia, that foresaw, among other actions, the release of individuals to increase population size. Within the project LIFE Under Griffon Wings (2015-2020), out of 76 Griffon Vultures that have been released in North Western Sardinia, 43 have been fitted with GPS/GSM tags. On the 3rd of April 2023, one of these Griffon Vultures, named “Caniga”, crossed the Strait of Bonifacio and reached Corsica. It stayed on the island for 20 days, before returning to Sardinia on the 23rd of April. Despite Griffon Vultures have been occasionally reported in Corsica in the last decades, this was the first time that one of the individuals released within the LIFE “Under Griffon Wings” project was recorded there. This observation provides evidence that expanding Griffon Vultures in Sardinia could also include Corsica in their movements and calls for the transboundary management of vulture populations between the two islands, including both monitoring and conservation actions minimizing anthropogenic mortality.

First estimates of Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos and Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres wintering along the coast of Trapani (Sicily, Italy)

Salvatore Surdo — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A census was carried out using the method of transects along stretches of coast of the Province of Trapani in order to estimate the wintering population of Common Sandpiper and Ruddy Turnstone. Although the International Waterbird Census (IWC) provides accurate estimation of wintering waders in Italy, the number of wintering individuals of Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos and Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres are strongly underestimated. The reason for this underestimation lies in the type of habitat they are used to populate along with the solitary life habits of the Common Sandpiper. To address this issue, we inspected 46.9 km of coastline where we recorded to 92 Ruddy Turnstones and 56 Common Sandpipers. For both species, the sites (coast) where bird-sightings occurred were marked with georeferenced data and classified as harbour area, sandy, rocky (including vermetid reefs) and posidonia banquettes. For each species, the IKA (Index of Abundance per Kilometer) was calculated, both global index and relative to each type of coast. As for the Common Sandpiper we observed 87 individuals, between transects and spot observations in the province of Trapani, which is the 22% of the whole wintering population estimated in Italy. Notably, even greater is the importance of our observations of the Ruddy Turnstone, which accounting for up to 154 individuals corresponds to the 71% of the whole Italian wintering population. Projection of these data to the entire Italian coast allows estimating a wintering population in Italy much larger than that reported so far, especially for the Common Sandpiper, which uses not only the sea cost but also inland wetlands and rivers as suitable wintering habitats for wintering.

Yellow Wagtails (Passeriformes, Motacillidae) are indicators of steppe and meadow landscapes

Elena Alexandrovna Artemyeva — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Levels of nesting site selection were identified: landscape level is related to birds’ choice of landscape with yellow, pink, white, and green aspects. Ecosystem level corresponds to the detection of a water body by birds. The birds detect a station with the necessary vegetation association, where grasses and meadow halophytic associations are the basis of vegetation. The local (point) level is caused by the presence of a necessary host plant, which is a protector of birds’ nests. The main signals for the selection of nesting conditions for yellow wagtails as a reflection of semiotics are (in order): landscape – habitats of predominantly yellow, less frequently pink, white and green aspects; ecosystem – proximity of a water body (river, lake, etc.); statistical – halophytic associations. The following aspects of the nesting habitats are considered: ecosystem – proximity to a water body (river, lake, etc.); statistical – halophytic vegetation and grasses on sandy loam, loamy, solonchak soils suitable for nesting holes; local (point) – presence of host plant to protect the nest. Birds select nesting habitats based on the availability of all available signals, which increases the possibility and success of colony formation. The manifestation of semiotics: yellow wagtails in the nesting habitat tend to lose their visibility and dissolve into the background of the biotope, which is a special adaptation against predator attack.

Breeding ecology, helpers presence, habitat use and trophic activity of the Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla: five years of study in Central Adriatic Italy

Marco Pantalone, Simone Ottorino Bai — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla is a migrant bird, considered of conservation concern, but poorly studied in Italy about his breeding ecology and habitat use. In this work, we aimed to study both of these components in the airfield of Fano (Central Italy, Marches, Pesaro-Urbino province). The study, relating to the 2018-2022 reproductive seasons, describes the nesting habitat used by the species, providing also data about the plants on which the species feed on. We hypothsized the importance of the choice of fenced areas for the less predation and we highlighted the presences of young helpers in the feeding of the second brood. Furthermore, we observed the formation of crèches for the young fledglings, controlled by some adult males. It’s confirmed here a semi-colonial condition that leading to the formation of extra-family groups before migration. The study area turns out to be the main reproductive colony of the species in the Marches region, with an average density of 1.5 pairs per 10 ha (maximum 2.4), one of the best know in central Italy.