Wintering redkites in Europe: Italy

Foto de archivo

Dear all,

for the second consecutive year, the CISO has coordinated the national census of wintering Red Kite in Italy.

The first count was made between 6 and 8 December 2012. Total: 1801-1842 individuals.

The second round of surveys was carried out between 4 and 6 January 2013. Total: 1575-1668 individuals.

The apparent decrease in December and January reflects what was observed last year. We can not exclude the possibility that some of the individuals resident in the central and southern regions of the Peninsula are less related to the roost in the month of January, as they are already employed in the defense of the breeding sites.

Some couples were observed in mating already January 8th of this year.

The majority of the population (over 1100 individuals) is concentrated in Basilicata regione (Southern Italy), while about 500-600 individuals are located in central Italy in Abruzzi, Molise and Lazio.

Alarming the dramatic decline in Sicily and Sardinia, where the population seems on the edge of extinction.

On the contrary good news come from Tuscany where, as a result of reintroduction projects, the species has been consolidated with a wintering group  over 60 individuals.

More over 80 volunteers have been partecipated to census activities.

Greetings to all,

Egidio Fulco

Census coordinator

Dr. Egidio Fulco

Studio naturalistico MILVUS
C/da Pantano, 134 - 85010 Pignola (PZ)
tel.: +39.338.1305096
E-mail: info@studiomilvus.it
web: www.studiomilvus.it

Dear All,

during the census in Tuscany which took place on January 5, 2012 we counted 68 red kites and three black kites.

No wintering red kites had been censused before January 2007.

You can find an update on the reintroduction programme at the following page http://www.uva-bits.nl/project/reestablishing-the-red-kite-population-in-tuscany/

Once again we want to thank all the French and Swiss colleagues who are collaborating for the success of this programme, in particular Gilles Faggio and Adrian Aebischer.

Best regards

Guido Ceccolini

www.lifesavetheflyers.it