Here, I present the results of detailed field observations on two distinct populations of European stonechat Saxicola rubicola in central Italy, which challenge the view that stonechats are entirely resident in Italy. My findings exclude weather-induced altitudinal movements and strongly suggest that a portion of the Italian stonechat population exhibits obligate full or partial migration, even if wintering within Italy’s borders. In central Italy, the resident-to-migrant ratio decreases from 100 at sea level to 0 in high mountain areas at 1600 m asl, with intermediate values in the hills and low mountains. To avoid potential misinterpretations, it is important to distinguish between geographical residency and residency as an intrinsic phenological trait of birds.
Tutema (Porphyriops melanops bogotensis Chapman, 1914) and Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) have been observed inhabiting artificial ponds near El Salitre wetland in the Andes near Paipa (5°46’48.47” N, 73°07’1.49” W), Boyacá State, Colombia. The Tutema is an endemic and endangered bird species that belongs to the Rallidae family. The Blue-winged Teal is a migrant duck species. The current investigation provides evidence that Tutema continues to use the artificial ponds near the El Salitre wetland. This species is not scared of human presence. Tutema continues to share its habitat with domestic ducks in one of the artificial ponds, as previously reported. The Blue-winged Teal has been observed swimming in the open water of an artificial pond and drinking its water. They were scared by human presence and flew away. The two species studied have taken advantage of artificial waterways, which have proven to be key for biodiversity conservation in this part of Colombia.
Scolopacidae are characterized by the presence of sensory pits innervated in the central-apical part of the bill, which allow species belonging to this family to locate prey hidden in mud or water with great precision. Although it is known that all Scolopacidae have these pits, the number has been described for only a few species. The authors examined 139 skulls belonging to 25 Palaearctic species (27% of known species) and present a photographic collection of the upper and lower mandibles, in which the sensory pits are clearly visible, their number varying according to species. The lowest number of pits has been recorded in Phalaropus spp., while the highest number has been recorded in Scolopax rusticola. Finally, for comparison, they present photos of the skulls of one species of Recurvirostridae and one of Burhinidae, which also have a modest number of apical pits in the bill.
This note presents multi-year trends in the nesting of the Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) within an industrial area, where the size of sedimentation basins (water collection tanks) suitable for breeding has changed due to progressive silting. Over time, we observed a gradual decline in the number of breeding pairs, with adults and chicks increasingly concentrated in the remaining available sites, resulting in a slight increase in nesting density, a possible “crowding effect”. Although water basins in industrial areas may offer certain advantages, such as stable water levels and reduced pressure from terrestrial predators and human disturbance, these benefits should be evaluated within a broader context that also considers the potential long-term costs of nesting in artificial habitats, including the accumulation of toxic substances in the birds’ tissues.
During the 2025 monitoring of the Kentish Plover, Anarhynchus alexandrinus, population nesting along the Lazio coast, a nest of a Eurasian Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus, was found. The first egg was laid on April 30 on a sandy beach with limited and partly forbidden access. This is the first time that the species has nested in Lazio and it also represents the southernmost nesting site in Italy and one of the rare egg-layings along the Tyrrhenian coast. To lay its eggs, the Oystercatcher used an active nest of a Kentish Plover pair from which two eggs were removed. The cause is probably because the male Oystercatcher had a left tarsus without toes, and this may have prevented it from digging in the sand. The eggs were incubated for 24 days and then probably preyed upon by a Canidae. In addition to the Oystercatcher, the Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius, and the Kentish Plover were found nesting in the same stretch of beach a few dozen meters away. Eggshells, found near the nest, were collected and used to determine some heavy metals such as chromium, nickel, mercury, manganese, and zinc.
This study presents preliminary data obtained through intensive sampling using a spatial survey approach (breeding bird atlas) carried out in Rome’s largest historic urban park: Villa Doria Pamphilj (184 hectares). A total of 44 breeding bird species were recorded across 88 survey units, each measuring 160×160 meters (Chao2 species richness estimator: 45.19±1.82 species). Psittacula krameri, Corvus cornix, Cyanistes caeruleus, Sylvia atricapilla, Turdus merula, and Apus apus were the most widely distributed species, occurring in more than 50% of the sampling units. The forest and synanthropic species guilds were both the most species-rich and the most spatially widespread. Differences in frequencies of occurrences among ecological guilds were clearly illustrated in the Whittaker plots. High habitat heterogeneity at the landscape scale appears to provide a wide range of ecological niches and resources, promoting overall species diversity. Species richness was positively associated with the extent of forest cover and proximity to watersheds, with localized hotspots observed near small lakes surrounded by mature trees and riparian vegetation. Despite the abundance of open areas (e.g., meadows), species typically associated with these habitats were absent, likely due to intense anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., high human and dog presence, frequent mowing). At the finer scale of the survey units, habitat heterogeneity did not explain variation in species richness: no significant correlation was found between fine-scale habitat diversity and species richness. This suggests that the resolution of the atlas grid may not align with the ecological grain perceived by bird species. Local atlases conducted in large urban parks can serve as valuable tools for the long-term monitoring of spatial patterns in bird species and guilds, supporting both geographical and temporal comparisons.
This work reports the distribution of some breeding bird species of interest (conservation status, limited distribution or density in Sicily/Italy, etc.) in the province of Trapani (Western Sicily, Italy), updating the latest Sicilian and Italian atlases of breeding birds. We report data on breeding bird species obtained in the period 2017 – 2024 and not mapped as nesting in the province of Trapani in the above-mentioned atlases, along with species for which our data significantly adds to that reported therein. We update the distribution of 24 species and estimate their breeding population where possible. Ornitho.it is now the standard accepted by the Italian ornithological community for the collection and editing of atlases. While this platform plays a commendable role in data collection in regions with a high number of observers, this does not apply to understudied or under-represented areas such as Sicily. This work publishes useful data to develop maps that better represent the true distribution of a number of species.
The breeding distribution of the Andean Goose Oressochen melanopterus ranges roughly from the high Andes of central Peru to approximately the high Andes of central Argentina and Chile. Although its conservation status is of least concern, populations in the south of its distribution show signs of danger for its conservation. The aim of the present study was to assess several demographic aspects, its feeding ecology, and habitat use. To this end, we conducted observations on the population of the Andean Goose wintering in Lake Junín, Peru, between the 16th and 18th of September 2024, by surveying the approximately 112 km perimeter of the lake by vehicle. A total of 2391 Andean Geese were recorded: 1372 (57%) in the northeast zone of the lake, concentrated almost entirely (98.8%) in the northernmost region, and 1019 (43%) in the southwest zone of the lake, distributed mainly (69.5%) between the districts of Junín and Ondores. The population of Andean Geese in Lake Junín was estimated to be approximately 3500 (±2000) individuals. The diet of the Andean Goose consisted mainly of grasses (62.9%), graminoids (27.4%) and eudicots (6.2%). The most frequently consumed taxa were the grasses Festuca spp. (12.5%) and Elymus sp. (11.5%), along with Cyperaceae as Carex spp. (11.1%). Groups of Andean Geese were found in areas with water bodies 80% of the time, and a relatively high proportion (46%) were found using sites with livestock. All the above highlight the importance of proper management of wetland pastures to protect Andean Geese.
We report the first breeding records of two Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) nests regarded as belonging to the subspecies guttata of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba guttata) in northern Italy. On June 20th, 2025, a nesting female was captured and ringed in a nest box located in Ca’ Tron, Treviso Province. The individual was raising 7 chicks and exhibited typical plumage features associated with T. a. guttata. On June 24th, 2025, another female and her three chicks were ringed during an operation to recover a chick that had fallen from its nest in the San Fermo area, Mantua Province. These records suggest a possible expansion of the breeding range of the guttata morph/subspecies or, alternatively, an extreme example of morphological variability within a local population of Tyto alba. We briefly discuss the taxonomic implications and recommend further genetic and ecological investigations.
Haryana is a state in northern India, situated in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The single female individual of Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri was observed on 23 November 2023 in the Kurukshetra University Campus, and its observation was presented as the first photographic record from the state of Haryana. The survey was also targeted to record and observe the species’ activity, interaction with other bird species, and nesting patterns. The presence of a single female individual of the Red-breasted Parakeet is primarily observed to be an example of a vagrant sighting of this bird. It is a near-threatened species and shows a global declining population trend. Addressing the pet trade and enforcing strict regulations on the import of faunal species are imperative in this regard. Public education regarding non-native species and their effects on ecosystems is also necessary.
This study, conducted between 2022 and 2024 in the Veneto plain (Italy) across 2000 hectares, monitored 142 bird species, including 27 of conservation concern and 37 indicators of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland. It examined how different agroecosystem habitats—wetlands, woodlands, croplands, hedges, and fallow fields—support bird biodiversity. Wetlands showed the highest species richness, especially for conservation-relevant birds, highlighting their ecological value. Hedges and fallow lands had the highest number of HNV species, acting as key biodiversity reservoirs. Woodlands, though less species-rich, hosted unique bird communities. Diversity indices (Shannon and β-diversity) were highest in wetlands and hedge/fallow areas, indicating both richness and species turnover. Principal coordinates analysis showed clear differences in community composition among habitats. Although the analysis of variance results were not statistically significant, ecological trends were evident. Constrained correspondence analysis confirmed a strong relationship between bird communities and habitat types. Some waterbirds were also found in croplands near microhabitats like ditches. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of habitat heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes and recommends conserving wetlands, woodlands, and ecotones to support bird diversity and ensure sustainable land use.
In this work, we review past records of the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio in Algeria. Furthermore, we report a new observation of the species made in November 2023 of a juvenile individual spotted in Tawandert in the extreme south of Algeria. The identification was based on the observed plumage characteristics, including a greyish-brown crown and nape, pale rufous back, and faint barring above and below, with the white primary patch already visible. This record, following one in Djanet in 1960 and another in Bou Hanifia in 1977, represents the third for this species in Algeria and the first sighting in over 50 years, as well as the first documented occurrence in the southern Sahara region of the country of a species that normally follows an easterly route during post-breeding migration.
The genus Corvus includes some well-documented cases of hybridization between species. Hybrids are usually concentrated in narrow hybrid zones located along the borders of the parental species’ ranges. However, the hybrid zone between the Somali Crow (Corvus edithae), an all-black endemic of the Horn of Africa, and the Pied Crow (Corvus albus), a conspicuously black-and-white species widespread across much of sub-Saharan Africa, has received little attention. Between 1999 and 2019, we conducted field observations in coastal and insular Eritrea, where both species are common, except in towns and large villages, from which they are largely excluded by the invasive House Crow (Corvus splendens). We recorded hybrids between Somali and Pied Crows at eight sites across a narrow area spanning over 300 km along the Danakil Desert coastline and on the Dahlak and Hawakil archipelagos of Eritrea. Additionally, we updated the known distribution of these hybrids in northeastern Africa by combining our field data with a review of scientific literature, as well as recent online photographs and reports from birdwatchers.
Capture-mark-recapture data for the Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta) were collected at a ringing station in northwestern Italy (Villalvernia, AL). A sample of 697 individuals (456 adults and 241 juveniles) was ringed and then partially recaptured in the following years, providing 868 capture events from 2007 to 2019. We analyzed phenology, capture trend, sex and age ratios, biometry, productivity, and survival rate. Survival and recapture probabilities were estimated with the program MARK and compared to other data on warblers’ survival. The recapture probabilities were relatively high (0.22, se=0.05) up to 2014, then dropped to a lower level due to changes in the ringing protocol. The survival rate was estimated to be the same between the sexes and constant in the study period (0.52, se=0.06). Contrary to what was expected for a migratory bird wintering in W-Africa, the survival rate was apparently not influenced by rainfall fluctuations in the Sahel region and was similar to the values obtained by other research from the northern (Burgundy, France) and eastern (northeastern Italy) boundaries of the species’ breeding range and in different habitats and years.
The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a long-distance migratory species whose breeding season in Europe occurs between March and August. However, on November 4th, 2024, a late breeding attempt was documented in Acquanegra sul Chiese (Mantua, Italy). The nest, containing four nestlings approximately seven days old, was located inside a rural farm building, suggesting that the first egg was likely laid around October 10-11th. The site was monitored through direct observations, camera trap footage, weather analysis, and dietary assessment. The collected data indicated that the internal temperature of the building was significantly higher than the external environment, which may have favored the success of the breeding attempt. Feeding activity peaked during the central hours of the day, and the diet was composed of insects from the following orders: Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Heteroptera, Homoptera, and Diptera. Fledging occurred between November 19th and 20th, representing the latest known fledging record for the species in Italy and highlighting its remarkable phenological plasticity.
Sunning is a widespread avian behavior with significant physiological and ecological implications, including thermoregulation, feather maintenance, and ectoparasite control. In Black Kites (Milvus migrans), sunning involves adopting a distinctive posture to maximize exposure to solar radiation. However, the functional significance of this behavior remains insufficiently understood. This study presents an opportunistic field observation conducted during a Raptor Monitoring Program at Kollam Beach, Kerala, on 17 November 2024. A single Milvus migrans was observed sunning at 11:30 AM, lying horizontally on beach sand with its wings and tail fully outstretched and head slightly elevated, directly facing the sun. Ambient air temperature was recorded at 33°C, while sand surface temperature reached 51°C. The posture and environmental conditions suggest antiparasitic advantages, with intense solar and substrate heat potentially aiding in ectoparasite control by exposing feather lice to lethal temperatures. Although anecdotal, the study contributes to our understanding of the adaptive value of heliothermic behavior and highlights the importance of natural history observations in avian behavioral ecology. Further research is recommended to quantify the effects of sunning on parasite loads and to examine its ecological function across varied habitats.
This study aims to update knowledge on the 11 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in the province of Pesaro-Urbino (Marches region, central Italy), many of which have not been monitored for long periods. The aim of this work is in fact to provide the most extensive and precise framework possible, available to scholars and managing bodies, based on prolonged monitoring. Areas for expansion relating to the territories of some SPAs are also proposed here, based on the ornithic populations present and nesting. The importance of SPAs is confirmed, with an average increase in species in Annex 1 in Pesaro-Urbino that has gone from 6.54 when they were established to 7.82 today. [Article in Italian]
In this note, we report multi-year trends in abundance over a medium-term period (2006-2023) for 8 species belonging to a guild of common synanthropic breeding birds breeding in an urban park in central Tyrrhenian Italy. Despite fluctuations in mean values, none of the species showed any local significant change during the survey period. Excluding possible sampling biases, the absence of significant oscillations in mean abundances can be traced back to the specific context of the study area: the complex landscape mosaics and traditional agricultural management typical of the Tuscia Laziale, adjacent to a Medieval historical town with a low rate of urbanization. These factors can allow the maintenance of constant abundances over medium to long periods, even for two species in numerical decline at a national/regional scale (Passer italiae, Carduelis carduelis). Further analyses of these medium-term trends in other urban parks are necessary to compare whether these patterns at the local scale match the trends at the national scale.
Four marine bird species breeding in the circum-Sicilian islands were monitored during 2021-2024 with the aim of updating data on distribution, breeding success, and population size for the EU Marine Strategy Directive (MSFD 2008/56/CE). Counts allowed to assess population sizes, in terms of breeding pairs, for Audouin’s Gull (91-160), Scopoli’s Shearwater (14,825-15,925), Yelkouan Shearwater (610-720), and Mediterranean Storm Petrel (3,030-3,050). However, for the latter two species, data could provide underestimates, as some breeding sites, located in poorly accessible areas, require further research.
The available data on the orientation and homing abilities of wild Rock Doves (Columba livia livia) have been reviewed to construct a unified understanding of their spatial behavior. Evidence suggests that these birds use a time-compensated sun compass to select and maintain spatial directions. This ability allows them to rely not only on simple piloting, following landscape features, but also on true navigation mechanisms within their familiar area. Compared to homing pigeons of similar age and flight experience, wild Rock Doves exhibit similar initial orientation but longer return times and greater variability. The initial orientation of wild Rock Doves captured near their colony and released from sites both within and outside their familiar area is rarely homeward-directed, except when food is available near the colony. This suggests that their navigation system is optimized for foraging movements rather than long-distance returns home, as observed in homing pigeons. Further research is needed to investigate other aspects of their navigation mechanisms, such as the possible use of olfactory or magnetic cues. However, genetic introgression with feral and domestic conspecifics poses a significant threat to the conservation of wild populations, limiting opportunities for future studies.
