Sociable Plover near Bologna, NE Italy

A first year Sociable Plover (Chettusia gregaria) is present since 7th November 2007 in the WWF reserve of Bentivoglio and San Pietro in Casale near Bologna, NE Italy, first recorded by Olgher Guidi, Zita Montanari, Paolo Gallerani, Leo Golinucci and Dario Martelli. This species is occasionally found in Italy with about 50 accepted records. Photos courtesy of Mario Chiarini and Michele Pietrangelo.

22:30 - Saturday, November 10, 2007 - comments {2} - post comment

Pygmy Cormorant near Parma, NW Italy

Franco Roscelli, Vittorio Mambriani, Marco Monica, Fausto Mori, Alessandro Mucciolo, Andrea Vegetti, Francesco Fietta and Germano Balestrieri have found today a Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) in the Medesano lakes near Parma, NW Italy. Picture courtesy of Germano Balestrieri. This species is regularly found both in NE Italy (where it's abundant with more than 2.000 birds in the Po Delta in winter) and Apulia, S Italy, where it's regularly breeding, while it's vagrant in the western Po Valley and NW Italy. This bird is present there probably since 13th October 2007

19:37 - Saturday, November 10, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Probable hybrid Western Reef Egret near Rome, C Italy

A probable hybrid Western Reef Egret (Egretta gularis x Egretta garzetta) is present regularly in the Nature Reserve of the Roman Seashore near Rome, C Italy. Both Western Reef Egrets and their hybrids are regularly present in Italy, with some recent breeding records. Photo courtesy of Giuliano Petreri.

19:35 - Saturday, November 10, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Griffon Vultures on Mount Grappa, NE Italy

Giancarlo Silveri have sent a picture featuring two Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) perching on trees on Mount Grappa, Veneto region, NE Italy, on 1st October 2007. This species is uncommon in this region even it's increasing in NE Italy, due to establishment of feeding areas on the Alps.

19:27 - Saturday, November 10, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Summering Common Crane in NE Italy

A Common Crane is present since the 24th June 2007 at the Civrana farm near Pegolotte di Cona, Venice, NE Italy. Picture courtesy of Aldo Tonelli, 2nd August 2007 (Common Crane with Little Egrets and Mallards)

21:57 - Thursday, August 2, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Probable hybrid African x Eurasian Spoonbill ringed in Italy and found in Hungary

Ádám Faragó was able to take a picture of a putative hybrid African x Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea alba x Platalea leucorodia) at Zalavár, Kis-Balaton, Bárándi-víz, Hungary, on 28^th July 2007. The bird was ringed with an Italian black ring, and was probably born in Valle Mandriole near Ravenna, Po Delta, NE Italy, in a colony where a mixed African x European Spoonbill pair is well known since 2004. The bird was showing red bare parts on face, was told white-eyed and greyish-billed. Moreover, the dark, and not pinkish leg was pointing to an hybrid and not to a pure African Spoonbill. The bird should be immature, having dark tips on primaries, but those are covered by the tertials in the picture. Finally, check the further photos out, showing a probable parent of the putative hybrid.

Putative hybrid African x Eurasian Spoonbill, Zalavár, Kis-Balaton, Bárándi-víz, Hungary, 28^th July 2007, photo by Ádám Faragó

21:52 - Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Birding in Italy - Rome and the Po River Delta - early July 2007

Trip report courtesy of Jake Gozart

I have recently returned home from a business trip to Rome, Italy.  I had never been to Italy or even Europe before and was excited to have a few days to see some of the sights.  Most of Rome's tourist sites were visited.  I especially enjoyed St. Peters and also the Pantheon for their spacious design.  It is incredible the Pantheon, with its huge dome, was built nearly 2000 years ago.  I don't think I will ever understand how anyone could build such a perfect dome way back then!  With no cranes or modern machinery.  Amazing.

Of course, being a "crazed" birder, I also arranged for a trip up to the Po River Delta where my wife and I enjoyed a full day of birding with Menotti Passarella Birding Italy. He met us at a bed and breakfast in Codigoro which was very nice.  I drove our rental car as he navigated throughout the Po River delta region. 

The first place we stopped at was a waste water area right beside the Ostellato sugar refinery, S of Codigoro.  Menotti wanted to show us the White Stork that was nesting in the top of an old broken down crane (metal one).  That was a treat, but so where the European Bee-eaters, Black-winged Stilts, and Hoopoe we saw there!  The Bee-eaters are incredibly colorful.  I could watch them fly around all day!  What a start to the morning!  We moved on to a freshwater pond area where we spotted Zitting Cisticola, (Common) Pheasant, (Common) Cuckoo, Gull-billed Tern, and Whiskered Tern.  We moved on to other ponds and wetland and identified (Common) Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Squacco Heron, Marsh Harrier, and many others.

After lunch, Mr. Passarella, led us to find some nesting (European) Rollers near Comacchio.  They, like the Bee-eaters are a colorful mixture of blues and greens and reddish browns.  What amazing colors!  We also saw a Green Woodpecker in the same area and my wife saw a Golden Oriole!

From there, we headed towards the bay called Valli di Comacchio and the Greater Flamingos!  There must have been hundreds of them.  Impressive!  We also saw (Pied) Avocets there and Menotti and the Avocets called back and forth to each other.  We ended the day by driving to a small stream area where we lucked upon a Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, and a not so common anymore - according to Menotti - (Common) Kingfisher!  I wish I had my camera ready for that picture!!

We enjoyed the day immensely and very much recommend Menotti Passarella!  He is very good and is available for a few hours or a week, depending on what / how much time you have to enjoy the Po River Delta.

Note:  A good place to bird in the middle of Rome is the Villa Borghese (early morning) where I saw all the Tits, Rose-ringed Parakeet, European Robin, White Wagtail, Blackcap, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers and many more.

Birds Seen (names according to Birds of Europe - 1999 by Svensson, Mullarney, Zetterstrom, and Grant)

Little Grebe, (Great) Cormorant, Pygmy Cormorant, Little Bittern, (Black-crowned) Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, (Eurasian) Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Mallard, Garganey, (Common) Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, (Common) Kestrel, (Common) Pheasant, (Common) Moorhen, (Eurasian) Coot, (Pied) Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, (Northern) Lapwing, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, (Common) Greenshank, (Eurasian) Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Little Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Whiskered Tern, Rock Dove, (Eurasian) Collared Dove, (European) Turtle Dove, (Common) Cuckoo, (Common) Swift, (Eurasian) Hoopoe, (Common) Kingfisher, (European) Bee-eater, (European) Roller, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, (Common) House Martin, White Wagtail, (European) Robin, (Common) Blackbird, Blackcap, Zitting Cisticola, Firecrest, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, (Common) Magpie, Hooded Crow, (Common) Starling, House Sparrow, (Eurasian) Tree Sparrow, (Common) Chaffinch, (European) Serin, Corn Bunting.

Jake Gozart - WV, USA

18:35 - Thursday, July 26, 2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Great Spotted Cuckoo, new breeding species in the Po Delta, NE Italy

15:15 - Saturday, June 23, 2007 - comments {2} - post comment

Ruddy Shelduck, a regular migrant species in NE Italy

Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea are regular with single figures in NE Italy during both their moult migrations. The Po Delta and the Garda lake are particularly involved fom early August to late September. If you connect the Po Delta and the Garda lake with a line, you may hipothesize both the origin (breeding grounds) and the moult site to where they are heading to gather. So it seems plausible that Ruddy Shelduck passing through NE Italy in both ways are coming from the Balkans. As about the moult site, the closest one to Italy is the Klingnau  reservoir, where 370 Ruddy Shelduck have been recorded at end summer 2004, while in the previous years, between August and November, they peaked at 140 in 2000, 220 in 2001, 250 in 2002 and 330 in 2003. Ruddy Shelducks return to NE Italy from their moult migration between mid-November to mid-December, probably heading to their wintering grounds more to the East. Unfortunately, the Swiss authorities have resolved to wipe out the species in the country - an ill-planned project if the Swiss population is not entirely feral in origin. But Swss ornithiologist state: "our" Ruddies are NOT wild birds.” “the Ruddies seen in Switzerland are ALL feral”, even there are not evidences at 100% that this is true.

5 Ruddy Shelducks, Valli di Comacchio, Po Delta, Ne Italy, 11 December 2004, photo by Menotti Passarella

4 Ruddy Shelducks, Valli di Comacchio, Po Delta, NE Italy, 22 November 2005, photo by William Vivarelli

3 Ruddy Shelducks, Valle Santa, Po Delta, NE Italy, 19 September 2006, photo by Giorgio Leoni

11:32 - Monday, September 25, 2006 - comments {1} - post comment

The Po Delta in late summer: 600+ Pygmy Cormorants (and more)

12:31 - Friday, August 25, 2006 - comments {2} - post comment

5 Northern Bald Ibis at La Tomina reserve, NE Italy, on August 19 through 23, 2006

According to information from the SOM (Stazione Ornitologica Modenese), five Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) have been present since August 19, 2006, at La Tomina reserve, N of Modena, NE Italy. The birds, all ringed 2cy, are part of a reintroduction scheme involving Austria and Italy, and are coming from the WWF reserve Oasis Laguna di Orbetello in Tuscany, C Italy. During 2004 and 2005, two groups for a total of 14 Bald Ibis were escorted there by an ultra-light aircraft from Scharnstein, Upper Austria (7 in 2004 and 7 in 2005). The hand-rearing of offspring was prepared in Austria, with eggs and nestlings coming from various european zoos. The young Bald Ibises had spent the winters in C Italy and were given their independence on the following springtimes. For the first time in 400 years there are free-flying Bald Ibis in Europe who have the imprint of their migratory route and thereby the capability to survive independently in the wild. The release of the birds in spring is in accordance with the natural dynamism of the family group. The adult birds return swiftly to their breeding territory to reproduce. The juveniles return either later in spring to the breeding territory or remain in winter quarters for 2 to three years until they have reached sexual maturity. The experimental founding of a migratory colony is only one of the Austrian team’s activities. They worked closely with the Konrad Lorenz research institute in order to create a broadly based pool of knowledge for the protection and reintroduction of this greatly endangered species. The international popularity of the project is also being used to sensitize the general public, and in particular young people, for species conservation.  The first and most necessary priority of sexually mature birds in the reproduction cycle is the return migration. Young Bald Ibis do not have this motivation as members of the ibis family of birds reach sexual maturity only after a number of years.  The birds have no problems with foraging independently. Analysis of Bald Ibis diet in Tuscany has shown that up to 90% of their daily requirements consist of worms, larvae, beetles and snails for which they probe to a depth of up to 10 cm. They possess a highly specialised tool for this. The some 12 cm long, slightly curved beak works like a pair of tweezers – the upper and lower mandibles meet at the tip only. A hook on the upper mandible assists in getting a grip on the food source. The tip of the beak is also equipped with smell and taste organs. All Bald Ibis kept in zoos originate from Morocco. First imports into zoos occurred in the 1940s but all birds died soon after their arrival. The next imports in the 1950s survived and are the founders of the current zoo population. Three bloodlines exist within the zoo population, which is managed under a European Endangered Species Programme (EEP): Basel Zoo, imported in the 1950s and 60s, Rabat Zoo, captured in the 1970s, and Naturzoo Rheine, the last imports of wild birds in 1976 and 1978. Last Minute. The 5 Bald Ibis were last observed by Raffaele Gemmato when roosting at La Tomina reserve on the evening of August 23rd, while 2 Bald Ibis were recorded in direct fly and soaring over the Asolo hills, near Treviso, NE Italy, by Gianfranco Martignago, Franco Trave, Francesco Mezzavilla & Fabio Piccolo on August 25th. 

Photos courtesy of Raffaele Gemmato and William Vivarelli.

23:21 - Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment

Western Reef Heron at Faenza, NE Italy, on August 11, 2006

Mauro Ferri and Mario Bonora were able to watch a Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis) of the gularis dark phase at Faenza, NE Italy, in an area where a White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) reintroduction and restocking project is carried out. The first picture by Menotti Passarella shows a probable hybrid Egretta gularis x Egretta garzetta found on April 6 to 8, 2001, in the Po Delta, NE Italy. There are recent claims of reproduction of mixed pairs Western Reef Heron with Little Egret in N Italy. E.g., the second picture, courtesy of Angelo Battaglia, features an adult Western Reef Heron sitting on the nest on May 5, 2005, in the mixed heron colony of the De Pinedo Reserve near Caorso, Piacenza, N Italy.

Western Reef Heron, Punta Barene, NE Italy, 30 Dec 2004, photo courtesy of Stefano Sava 

11:51 - Monday, August 14, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment

Bonelli's Eagle near Vercelli, NW Italy, on Aug 13, 2006

Gianfranco Alessandria, Franco Carpegna and Laura Gola have found a Bonelli's Eagle, Hieraaetus fasciatus, immature near Vercelli, NW Italy, on Aug 13, 2006. This smallish eagle of mountains, cliffs, gorges, woodland, in Europe it's strictly a Mediterranean species, occurring on the Iberian peninsula, in S France, Sicily, Croatia and Greece, while it's quite rare in NW Italy. This is the 6th records for Piedmont, after the onef dating back to 1992 and 1999. Birds are coming probably from S France, where more than 20 pairs are breeding regularly. The photo, courtesy of Giovanni Cumbo, was taken in Sicily on January 8, 2006, during a trip organized by Lipu-Birdlife, Alcamo section.

09:54 - Monday, August 14, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment

Juv Caspian Gull at Germignaga, Varese, NW Italy on Jul 29 to Aug 2, 2006

A juv Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans) was observed and photographed by Michele Viganò at Germignaga, Varese, NW Italy on Jul 29 to Aug 2, 2006. The bird's central tail feathers was showing a very weak and abraded tail-bar and an obvious black-extra bar. Moreover, some second generation outermost tail feathers were still growing due to the accidental moult of part of the tail (the Americans tend to call this 'adventitious molt') and were showing a fuller tail-bar, lacking apparently any extra-bars.

Source: Surfbirds Photo Galleries

Juv Caspian Gull and juv Yellow-legged Gull, Germignaga, NW Italy

Juv Caspian Gull, Germignaga, NW Italy. Note the old central tail feathers and the growing outermost tail feathers. 

11:47 - Thursday, August 3, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment

Laughing Gull at Portopalo, Sicily, on Aug 2, 2006

23:50 - Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment

Immature Long-tailed Skua off the Po Delta on July 30, 2006

An immature Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus) was observed and photographed by Bruno Moretti off shore of Rosolina, Po river Delta, NE Italy, on July 30, 2006. Small bill with weak gonydeal angle, small head, slim body with shallow breast and narrow wings was pointing to this species. As it was similar to juvenile, but with new upperwing-coverts uniform greysh-brown, lacking pale scaling of juveniles, and underparts cleaner whitish, making breast band and dark hood more striking, hence the bird was a 2cy in 'firts winter plumage'. The picture shows the bird has underwing as on juvenile; note pale bases to retained juvenile primaries. Conspicuous greyish breast band, pale lower breast and barred flanks together with conspicuous pale barring on uppertail-coverts are typical of an intermediate phase. The last observation of this species in the Delta was dating back to  August 11, 2006, when a pale phase 2cy was recorded at Gorino.

11:36 - Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - comments {1} - post comment

Tunisia, a sparrow's puzzle.

Luca Boscain, a young Italian birdwatcher, during a recent trip in Tunisia was able to observe and photograph a wide range of variability among breeding sparrows of the genus Passer (apart from Desert Sparrow, Passer simplex, breeding in S Tunisia). Finally he was able to realize a plate showing this variability associated to the Tunisia map, pointing particularly to the shape and size of the black bib extending to upper breast and eventual streaks extending down flanks. According to Beaman & Madge’s Handbook of Bird Identificaion (1998) Tunisia hosts both House Sparrow and Spanish Sparrow; however, birds resembling Italian Sparrows may occur outside Italy as a result of hybridization between these two closely related species. Indeed, none of the sparrows found in Tunisia by Luca Boscain were showing the typical grey forehead/crown of the House Sparrow, all having a head similar to Italian Sparrows with brown forehead/crown. The only birds showing the features of the Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) were present close the Chateau Boire Bou at Cap Bon, N Tunisia, even the voice of them was indistinguishable from to the call of Italian Sparrow (that is very similar to the voice of House Sparrow). Probable hybrids P. hispaniolensis x domesticus with streakes extending down flanks were found at Hammamet and Mahares. Along the desert borders birds were losing features of the Spanish Sparrow, with very few streakes down bib and no streaks at all at Douz, the last oasis before the Great Tunisian Erg, where birds appeared indistinguishable from a pure Italian Sparrow. As about the voice, none of the Tunisian sparrows were calling as Spanish Sparrow (e.g. those breeding in the Po Delta, NE Italy, coming from the Balkans). According Cramp et al.'s Handbook (1994) the form Passer domesticus tingitanus of N Africa is closely related to P. d. italiae of Italy (the former being a subspecies of the latter according Stephan 1986); however populations in Tunisia show extreme individual variation, from pure P. domesticus to pure P. hispaniolensis and all forms between. Isolated Sahara populations are more stabilized and usually nearer P. domesticus tingitanus (which is itself variable, probably due to introgression of P. hispaniolensis characters even in its pure form), those of coastal Tunisia are nearer P. hispaniolensis. However during his trip, Luca Boscain was unable to find neither P. hispaniolensis nor P. domesticus tingitanus pure forms.

Last minute. G. Olioso suggests to check this paper out:

Stephan B. (1999).  [Taxonomy of Mediterranean sparrows, genus Passer – further problems in hybridisation, italiae, tingitanus.]  [in German, summary in English]  Mitt. Mus. Nat. kd. Berl. Zool. Reihe 75: 3-9. 

Sparrow, Tunis, Tunisia

Sparrow, Tunis, Tunisia

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Cairo, Egypt

23:48 - Thursday, July 27, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment

A lot of Gull-billed Terns in the Po Delta during summer 2006

Various breeding colonies of Gull-billed Terns (Sterna nilotica) for a total of some hundreds breeding pairs were scattered in the wetlands of the Po Delta, NE Italy, during summer 2006. So this species was commonly seen when patrolling cultivated fields, rivers, canals and ditches looking for preys. The picture shows a juvenile photographed by Roberto Sauli near Comacchio during mid-July, showing a reddish base of the bill.

23:57 - Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment

Lesser Spotted Eagle near Bologna, NE Italy, on July 10, 2006

An immature Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) was observed and photographed by William  Vivarelli flying over the hills near Bologna, NE Italy, on July 10, 2006. The bird, an immature, was showing both obvious whitish uppertail coverts and whitish area at base of inner primaries. This species is quite rare in Italy, being more typical of E Europe in summer.

23:00 - Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - comments {0} - post comment

Sandwich Tern ringed in Italy and breeding in Denmark

An adult Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) ringed in the Comacchio salina, NE Italy, on April 6th, 2006, by Adriano Talamelli, was found breeding in a small colony of 10-15 pairs at Præstø Fjord, Sjælland, Denmark, on  May 17th, 2006, by Helge Sørensen. The Comacchio salina ringing station is the most important site in the Mediterranean for the study of the migration of this species, with dozens of recoveries from a lot of areas ranging from Holland to Denmark and Ukraine. Birds had been ringed with yellow, red, green and blue rings.

06:56 - Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - comments {1} - post comment