VOLUME 3 (I-II) 2000

Articoli e Note/ Papers & Notes

- Distribuzione e nidificazione dell'Airone guardabuoi Bubulcus ibis in Italia. Marcello Grussu, Menotti Passarella, Mauro Fasola & Mauro Della Toffola

- Nuovo svernamento in Italia del Falco pecchiaiolo Pernis apivorus. Andrea Corso, Giuseppe Consoli & Carmela Cardelli

- L'activité de l’Association des Amis du Parc Naturel Régional de Corse. Rosy Judais-Bolelli & Gilles Faggio

- Primi dati sulla presenza del Gufo reale Bubo bubo in Sardegna. Marcello Grussu, Attilio Mocci Demartis, Massimo Semenzato & Pavel Siménov

- Ibrido tra Gabbiano corallino Larus melanocephalus e Gabbiano comune Larus ridibundus in Sicilia. Andrea Corso, Renzo Ientile & Daniele Aliffi

- Lo svernamento della Cutrettola Motacilla flava in Italia. Andrea Corso, Andrea Ciaccio & Valerio Cappello

- Presenza di Falco cuculo Falco vespertinus in febbraio in Italia. Mauro Sanna

- Contingente record di Cicogna bianca Ciconia ciconia in Sardegna nel maggio 2000. Gianpaolo Ruzzante, Gret Lutz Stemmler, Giuseppe Floris & Giovanni Paulis

- Status recente della Cicogna bianca Ciconia ciconia in Sardegna.  Marcello Grussu & Mauro Sanna

Recenti avvistamenti/ Recent records around the Region

Periodo: aprile 1999 - marzo 2000 / April 1999 - March 2000. A cura di Marcello Grussu

Hot Spot - La Riserva Naturale WWF di Monte Arcosu (Inglesiente). Giovanni Paulis

Progetti e Ricerche/ Projects and Researches

- Il Gobbo rugginoso Oxyura leucocephala in Spagna. José A. Torres Esquivias
- Decine di Falchi della regina Falco eleonorae avvelenati a Creta. Dietrich Ristow & Alberto Badami
- Richiesta di informazioni sulla migrazione del Piviere tortolino Charadrius morinellus in Italia. Marco Basso & Adriano De Faveri

Novità e commenti/ News and Comment

Recensioni/ Reviews

Foto di copertina/ Cover photograph: Airone guardabuoi Bubulcus ibis in abito invernale. Golfo di Oristano, Sardegna, 1997./ Cattle Egret in winter plumage. Gulf of Oristano, Sardinia, 1997 (Mauro Sanna).

 Airone guardabuoi Bubulcus ibis/ Cattle Egret (Alessandro Alberton)

ABSTRACTS

Marcello Grussu*, Menotti Passarella, Mauro Fasola & Mauro Della Toffola

Status, distribution and breeding population of the Cattle Egret in Italy up to 1999.

We examine the evolution of  the population of Cattle Egret in Italy. The species was considered accidental in Italy until the 70's. In 1982 the first regular winterings took place in Sardinia and in 1985 the first breeding (1-2 pairs) was recorded in the south of the Island near Cagliari. Afterwards the species has begun to winter regularly also in northern Italy and to breed in Piedmont (since 1989), Lombardy (since 1992), in Emilia-Romagna and Veneto (since 1993) and in Tuscany (since 1997). Breeding may have occurred in Sicily (1998). The breeding population in Italy is progressively increasing. In 1999 there were 945-960 pairs in 20 colonies. The main breeding population is in Sardinia with about 650 pairs (which correspond to 70.4% of the whole population in Italy, in 3 colonies) and in the western Po Valley (Piedmont and Lombardy) with 154 pairs (5 colonies). In the area around the Po Delta there are 96-106 pairs (9 colonies), while in Tuscany 25-30 pairs (3 colonies) were recorded. The species breeds in colony together with other herons, with the Glossy Ibis, the Sacred Ibis, the Great Cormorant and the Eurasian Spoonbill. The nests are usually on trees, but in Sardinia some colonies are on the ground, on reeds beds, and even in marine islets. The breeding season is slightly wider than for other Mediterranean areas, as some adults were seen with their bare parts brightly coloured at the beginning of September (Sardinia) and fledglings by the middle of the same month (Po Valley). The species is recorded more and more frequently also beyond the breeding period when there is an influx of individuals from the west (France, Spain?). In a great part of Italy the largest groups are recorded during the winter. In this season a population of about 1500 individuals  is spread on the western Po Valley (3-400 individuals), on the Po Delta (about 450 individuals), in Sardinia (about 350 wintering individuals), on the coastal strip of Tuscany (some hundreds of individuals) and of Latium (about 350 wintering individuals). Sightings in other Regions are rare and irregular. Unlike the rest of Italy, in Sardinia the wintering population of Cattle Egret is less numerous than the breeding one. It is thus possible that part of the Sardinian Cattle Egret population is migratory.(*GOS – C.P. 160/C - 09045 Quartu Sant'Elena/ Cagliari)

Andrea Corso*, Giuseppe Consoli & Carmela Cardelli

New wintering record of European Honey Buzzard in Italy.

A first-winter bird of European Honey Buzzard of the brown morph has been observed several times between December 1999 and early January 2000 at Siracusa Salt-Pans (Southern Sicily). This is the second wintering record for Italy; one more has been recorded in 1997 in Lazio. Interesting, all those records are concerning first winter birds observed in wetlands. This is probably related to food sources. The species normally eats wasps but during winter it may feed on frogs and earthworms. The bird previously reported in 1997 has been in fact observed several times resting at ground on flooded fields or along shores of the wetlands appearing to be searching food.(*Comitato Italiano Rarità - Via Camastra, 10 - 96100 Siracusa)

Rosy Judais-Bolelli* & Gilles Faggio*

The “Association des Amis du Parc Naturel Régional de Corse”.

The "Association des Amis du Parc Naturel Régional de Corse" established in 1972, is a Non Governmental Organisation working on nature conservation in Corsica Island. Major aims are knowledge and conservation of wildlife, as birds (inventories, ringing, databases….), rare or endemic flowers, reptiles, amphibians and cetacean. It manages 18 important natural areas. It includes two specialised groups: the "Groupe Ornithologique de Corse" (Corsican Ornithologists' Club) and the Conservatoire Régional des Sites de Corse (Natural Heritage trust). We search after groups or individuals working in the Mediterranean area on the same topics to elaborate projects on similar or complementary activities, such as researches and management.(*Résidence Pietramarina, Toga - 20200 Bastia/ France)

Marcello Grussu*, Attilio Mocci Demartis, Massimo Semenzato & Pavel Siménov

First data on the Eagle Owl in Sardinia.

We report the data on the first findings of Eagle Owl in Sardinia. An adult individual of the nominal subspecies with the mark "Nuoro, 15^th October 1946" was found in a private collection in northern Italy. Another individual was seen flying over the sea 5 miles from the south coast of Sardinia on 11^th July 1991.

In winter 1988-89 in Cagliari an individual of Eagle Owl was caught alive with strings around the tarsi; it had flown away after being taken in captivity. After some weeks, in the same town an individual (possibly the same one found previously free) was found drowned in water tank. Considering the phenology and the distribution of this species in Europe we think that at least the bird checked over the sea is a wild individual.(*GOS – C.P. 160/C - 09045 Quartu Sant'Elena – Cagliari)

Andrea Corso*, Renzo Ientile & Daniele Aliffi

Field observation of an hybrid between Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gull in Sicily.

On 28^th March 1999 we observe and photographed an odd 1^st winter gull on the beach of Marina vecchia di Avola (south of Siracusa). This gull showed visibly characters intermediate between Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gull. The general structure and shape, as well as the general plumage color and pattern were similar to that of the former, while legs and bill were just like the latter. The bill was in fact reddish with a blackish tip, it was also slender, more delicate and curved than the Mediterranean's, being exactly like a Black-headed's. Legs were also reddish-orange, not black or blackish-brown as in the Mediterranean Gull. Plumage features were fitting a Mediterranean Gull, though possibly the marks on the wing-coverts and tertials were a little bit paler, less dark. After a careful study the bird cannot be in our opinion nothing else than a hybrid, as we propose. It is the first record in Italy but there are already some similar reports from many European countries.(*G.S.R.O. - Via Camastra, 10 - 96100 Siracusa)

Andrea Corso*, Andrea Ciaccio & Valerio Cappello

The wintering of Yellow Wagtail in Italy.

In the January 1995, at Lentini Lake (Siracusa, Southern Sicily) is accerted the first wintering record of Yellow Wagtail for Italy with four birds of the race flava observed. Afterward that record, regular wintering has been documented in Southern Sicily (Lentini Lake, Simeto River mouth, Siracusa and Augusta Salt-Pans, Longarini and Cuba marshes). In total have been recorded 25 individuals in December-January up to winter 2000-2001. Of these, at least 11 birds (44%) were identified as belonging to the flava race while only two as cinereocapilla; the other were not surely assigned to any race though suspected to be flava as well (due to the call). In detail, 3 birds have been recorded in winter 1995-96 and 1996-97, 5 in 1997-98, 8 in 1998-99, 2 in 1999-00 and 4 in winter 2000-01. Outside Sicily, exist in Italy only two wintering record in Emilia Romagna region (1 bird, winter 1998-99 and 2-3 birds, winter 2000-01) and one in Lombardia region (2 birds, winter 2000-01), and very few sparse winter records (Lazio and Calabria) that however are occasional. In Sicily, there has been a positive trend with an increasing of the birds observed until the winter 1999-2000. This seems to be real since the relevant areas of wintering are extensively and uniformly covered each season and with same efforts each winter. A possible factor influencing such increasing may be found in the climatic factors: in fact winter has been every year milder, less rainy and with warmer temperature.(*Comitato Italiano Rarità - Via Camastra, 10 - 96100 Siracusa)

Mauro Sanna

Record of Red-footed Falcon in Italy in February.

On 10^th February 2000 in the pond of S'Ena Arrubia (39°49' North, 8°34' East) in the central area of the Gulf of Oristano(Sardinia), a male of Red-footed Falcon was seen. It was the first winter record of this species in Italy. In the Western Palearctic the species was previously seen in winter in central Europe (Germany), in East  Europe (Crimea, Macedonia, Turkey) and in Tunisia.(Via Longobardo, 28a - 07040 Li Punti/ Sassari)

Gianpaolo Ruzzante*, Gret Lutz-Stemmler, Giuseppe Floris & Giovanni Paulis

Record number of White Stork in May 2000 in Sardinia.

In May 2000 several  groups of White Stork were recorded in Sardinia in the areas of Sulcis, Baronie and Gallura; single individuals were sighted in other areas. The largest group was seen on 10th May in the northernmost part of the island at Capo Testa/Santa Teresa di Gallura, where 5-600 individuals stayed for some days. We assume that 600-700 individuals of White Stork were in Sardinia in May 2000. This is a record number in Italy where a maximum of 250 individuals at the same time (Sicily) and of 400 individuals during the whole spring (Straits of Messina) were previously recorded.(*GOS - C. P. 222 - 09045 Quartu Sant'Elena/ Cagliari)

Marcello Grussu* & Mauro Sanna

The status of the White Stork in Sardinia.

The presence of the White Stork in Sardinia was irregular until the 80's, but afterwards  sightings became more frequent. At present the species is regular migratory (March-June and July-October). The most important period of migration is spring. Migratory groups vary from a few dozen to over 650 individuals per annum. In May 2000 a group of 5-600 individuals was recorded in the north of the island, while we reckoned migratory groups of 650-700 individuals during the whole spring. In Italy these are record numbers, never registered before. In Sardinia single individuals of the species  irregularly winter, but in winter 1987-88 a group of at least 5-6 individuals stayed on the plain of Campidano. Some attempts at nest building were also noticed, while in 1993 a pair built its nest in the Campeda area (north of Sardinia) but the eggs did not hatch.(*GOS - Via de Candia, 47 - 09045 Quartu Sant'Elena/ Cagliari)

                                                                         Gufo reale Bubo bubo./ Eagle Owl (Alessandro Alberton).