Egyptian Vulture in continental Italy

Here below a couple of pictures (by Gianpasquale Chiatante) of one of the two breeding pairs of Egyptian vulture in Continental Italy. This pair reared two chicks this year.

Poachers at the Strait of Messina

Between the afternoon of April 30th and the morning of the first of May an intense flow of migratory raptors, mostly Honey Buzzards, crossed the Strait of Messina passing through the area between the Catona's Valley in the south and the hills above Bagnara town in the north. Sadly tens of poachers took advantage of this early morning passage of birds to shot at raptors, thanks also to the low flight altitude of migrating hawks. Shooting against birds of prey have been heard in the upper areas of the municipalities of Scilla and San Roberto within the Natura 2000 site "Costa Viola" and up to the vicinity of the border of the Aspromonte National Park. A trick used by poachers was to shot close to firing ranges to mix their gunshots with those of the sportsmen.

The struggle conducted by environmental associations and the State Forestry Corps since the 80s has produced brilliant results and today poaching on the Strait of Messina is limited to a small number of fanatical nostalgics. 

Yet we know that on rare occasions, usually once per season, the poachers take advantage of particular weather conditions and of raptors' passage to go out again to shoot the birds of prey. They are helped by ruggedness of the Aspromonte area and by the isolation of many places that are not easy to reach despite the proximity to the coast.

Our associations have been working at the Strait of Messina since years to monitor and study raptor migration in collaboration with Italian and international research institutions. Ornithologists and volunteers from all over the world take part in our activities, and they are astonished by the emergence of these antisocial episodes.

We ask  Italian and European institutions to make their part garanteeing a stronger presence on the territory and we ask the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria to stop the activity of firing ranges in areas of raptors' passage during the migratory periods. However, we are convinced that the militarization of the territory is not the solution to this problem. It is necessary that governmental, European, regional and local institutions deal and support much more the biodiversity conservation, the monitoring and research projects, the environmental education and the ecotourism in the Strait of Messina area. That is the only area of ​​international relevance for the migration of birds of prey in the Central Mediterranean area. A peculiarity that makes  special and precious this territory but  also a responsibility for everyone.

Stop hunting at migratory bottlenecks

Two days ago it was shot a juvenile Black Stork close to our watchpoint at the Strait of Messina. We already don't know if it will be possible to release the stork in the field. This beautiful bird was shot in area  outside  Natura 2000 site and outside the border of the National Park. Therefore it was shot in an area where hunting is allowed. We believe the problem is that one and the solution should be to forbid hunting activity in the whole bottle-neck area of the Strait of Messina. Here below a picture of the unlucky stork. 

Strait of Messina - poachers in the '70s

An interesting video document from the '70s that shows the "adorno" festival in a small village inland of the Strait of Messina. The festival was yearly organized by hunters/poachers to celebrate the killing of the Honey Buzzards. The hawk shoother who did not shoot to any raptors in the season was named the mayor of the village and was bringed around the village for derision.

Egyptian vultures and Black Storks

Two endangered species breeding in southern Italy have just arrived in their breeding sites. The pictures below taken by Gianpasquale Chiatante show one of the last pairs of Egyptian vulture breeding in mainland Italy and a pair of Black Stork.

A motion to promote raptor monitoring and conservation

A motion was positively voted and promoted by the last Italian Congress of Ornithology. Medraptors has supported the motion because it is necessary to make one step a head in the monitoring and conservation of migratory raptors as already asked by the international agreements signed by the Italian government. Here following the text of the motion addressed to the Italian Ministry of Environment:

The participants to the XVIII Italian Congress of Ornithology held in Caramanico Terme (PE) between 17th and 20th September 2015,  acknowledgingthat:

1. at the international level Italy is required to take concrete actions for the monitoring and conservation of migratory raptors (see in particular the obligations under Article 12 of the Birds Directive n. 2009/147 / EC and point 4 of the Action Plan of the “Raptors MoU " signed by Italy in 2011); 
2. although different groups of ornithologists are involved in monitoring and research projects on migratory raptors in Italy, a coordination to gather basic data for the implementation of the above mentioned conservation instruments is still lacking;
3. at the European level experiences of long-term monitoring exist since long time, thanks to the synergies of the work of institutions, local authorities and associations and individual volunteers; these realities have recently met  within  the EURAPMON project to which the Italian Ministry of the Environment has offered its scientific and  financial support;

call on  the Italian Ministry of the Environment to:

• promote and support the setting up  of a national working group with the formal role to monitor the migration of raptors and to build up a national data bank in line with international standard;
• continue supporting the EURAPMON project so as to promote the integration of national activities at the European level.

Interesting paper on Science: vultures and diclofenac

Among the different threat European raptors must face there is the diclofenac. This low-cost veterinarian product is used worldwide to manage livestock. However residuals remain in the carcasses provoking the death of vultures feeding on them. Now a new important paper has been published on Science highlighting the detrimental use of this veterinarian product. In our opinion the production of diclofenac should be stopped and its selling forbidden, first in Europe and then worldwide.

To read the paper click on the picture below:

News from the Strait of Messina

A first heavy passage of Honey Buzzards was recorded yesterday at the Strait of Messina after some days of rain, fog and clouds. On the anniversary of the Liberation from fascism in Italy, several hundreds of Honey Buzzards have been observed moving toward north along the valleys of the Aspromonte mountain. Together with them many Marsh Harriers, Montagu's Harriers and some Booted Eagles, Hobbys and Kestrels. Unfortunately many individuals were shot by poachers in the evening when raptors went to roost and  passed low over the houses of the Calabrian villages. This was possible because of the lack of control by the Forestry rangers who have not yet started  the anti-poaching operations.

To read more (in italian) click here: Gea-press

Bonelli's Eagle: surveillance camps in Sicily

Also this year we invite all of you to support and participate at the surveillance camps in Sicily organized by the Network for the Conservation of Sicilian Raptors (Coordinamento Tutela Rapaci Sicilia). In 2013 it was possible to verify the fledglings of 28 young Bonelli's Eagles and thanks to the monitoring activity, the forest police have found one of the two chicks (the other one has died) that had been stolen in a nest. That young eagle was given back to the wild. Unfortunately there is the risk that other chicks could be stolen in the upcoming spring. For this reason we need the help of all of you. If you would like to partecipate at the surveillance camps write to us: medraptors@raptormigration.org

Anti-poaching actions in southern-Italy

This is an interesting video (unfortunately in Italian) showing anti-poaching activity at the Strait of Messina (southern continental Italy) and in Sicily. At the Strait, poachers use to shot against migrating Honey Buzzards and other raptors in particular during spring, but also in autumn. Actions against illegal hunting has been going on from the late '80s and up to now the situation is strongly improved. However there are still few hundreds of poachers shooting raptors from the gardens and roofs of the buildings of the surroundings of Reggio Calabria town.  Giovanni Malara, that is interviewed in this video, is one of the volunteers who has spent tens of years in this struggle.
On the other hand in Sicily, a project, that we support, is monitoring the breeding pairs of Bonelli's Eagles to avoid rubberies of chicks.

The video was made by Luca Verducci for "Repubblica TV".

A new breeding pair of Egyptian Vulture in Southern Italy

After ten years a breeding pair of Egyptian Vultures has nested in the "Gravina of Laterza". An impressive canion valley located in Apulia, southern Italy. The chick was born in late June while he fledged in September, a bit later for this species that starts the migration in late August. This is a great piece of  news because the italian population of this species is dramatically declining and less than ten pairs are still active. 

This nest was found and monitored from our member Gianpasquale Chiatante who is carrying out a Ph.D. at the University of Pavia on the study of bird communities of the Bari Province in Apulia. Here following three amazing picuters taken by Gianpasquale with the valley of Laterza, the chick in the nest and the two adults.

Sicily 2013 - Raptor Conservation update

Unfortunately two 50-days old chicks of Bonelli's eagle were stolen from a nest in Sicily. This criminal act was made on the 8th of May in one of the daily monitored nest. The activity of poachers in Sicily is still intense against this rare raptors and therefore our commitment must be intense. 

However we have also a good piece of news, yesterday the first young eagle flew away from the nest  while  many others are  following in the next few days. 

Sicily 2013 - Raptor Conservation Update

In this moment all the monitored pairs of Bonelli's Eagle in Sicily are in the nest and some chicks were already born. Therefore the surveillance activity is intense in particular in the endangered sites. If you want to enjoy the camps write us an email.

Conservation of birds of prey in Sicily

Medraptors would like to support an important project for the protection of two rare species of Mediterranean raptors. The project is promoted by several NGO and Foundations active in southern Italy (CABS, EBN Italy, FIR, LIPU, MAN, WWF). In particular the two endangered species are: the Bonelli's Eagle and the Lanner Falcon. The main threats for these raptors in Sicily are linked to the illegal trafficking of eggs and chicks from nest. The project is developped to prevent this detrimental activity. In 2012, 75 volunteers have assisted to the fledging of 32 young eagles!

To improve the project is requested the help of everybody. If you want to partecipate or to support the conservation programme you can write us or to the coordinator of the project Giovanni La Grua (lagruagio[at]alice.it). To read more about it, click on the link below:

Raptor conservation in Sicily

On the picture a beautiful young Bonelli's Eagle born in a monitored nest in 2012.

Shocking Amur Falcon massacre in India

Unfortunatly many news reported on our blogsite in the last weeks rely on poaching. What's worse this time a shocking news has arrived; tens of thousands Amur Falcons are killed every season during autumn migration at a roosting site in Nagaland in Northeastern India.
A team of Indian conservationists has reported this extremely dangerous situation that is really detrimental for a species performing a spectacular migration between the Eastern Siberia and the Eastern Africa. We hope that actions to  stop this massacre will start as soon as possible.
To read more and see the shocking pictures click on the logo below:

A further case of poaching in Italy

One of the Short-toed Snake Eagles that have been tracked by the University of Alicante together with the Natural Park of Gallipoli Cognato (Southern Italy) has been killed at the Strait of Messina. After 15 months of life the young eagle has been shot in Northern Sicily close to Messina town. This is a further signal of alarm of a situation that could frustrate the protectionist effort made in the breeding areas of these endangered species.
Click at the link to read more (in Italian) click on the picture below:

Picture by Ugo Mellone

Raptors and powerlines

Few days ago a dead individual of Common Buzzard was found by rangers in the Natural Reserve of Decima Malafede (Rome). This raptor was found under a power line and probably was killed by the collision with this transmission line. Further investigations are needed to know how many birds collide with power lines in Italy in order to limit this detrimental situation for raptors.

Italy signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Raptors

On October the 22nd 2008, it was concluded in Abu Dhabi (UAE), under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Fauna, a Memorandum of Understanding on the conservation of migratory birds of prey in Africa and Eurasia (Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia), also known as a Memorandum of Understanding on Birds of Prey.

On the same date it was signed by 28 states and the Convention of the 1st November 2008 entered into force.
The protocol in question, non-legally binding , contains a list of general conservation measures, guidance on the application and final provisions. It is also accompanied by an action plan indicating a series of specific steps that should be implemented by the signatory countries.

On November 21, 2011 Italy signed the Protocol: The signing took place during the Tenth Conference of the Parties to CMS, held in Bergen in Norway, 20 to 25 November 2011.

To download the text of the Protocol click here.
For further information see the website: www.cms.int

Stop the massacre of migrating birds!

Two different episodes concerning poaching against migrating birds in the Mediterranean.

The first one is a severe aggression against two Italian volunteers who were conducting anti-poaching activities in Cyprus. At the end of April they have been kidnapped and beaten by Cypriot poachers. The police arrived on the scene but did not denounces the attackers.
Click here to read more (in italian):

The second episode thankfully is good news.
Here below some pictures of an action made by LIPU (BirdLife Italy) volunteers and by the anti-poaching group of the italian forest rangers (CFS - Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) the 26 of May at the continental side of the Strait of Messina (Southern Italy).
The intervention led to the arrest of a 63 years old poacher from Reggio Calabria. He had an illegal weapon (12 caliber rifle with serial abraded) that was seized together with hundreds of cartridges for hunting raptors in the area "Water Pigs" near Scilla town. Poachers used to reach that place by a long rope tied to a tree. During house search were seized 5 other rifles , six thousand cartridges and 15 pounds of gunpowder.
Congratulation to the LIPU volunteers and to the forest rangers for their good work. We express our indignation over the episode in Cyprus and solidarity to CABS (Commitee Against Bird Slaughter) volunteers. We wish that illegal hunting will stop in Italy, Cyprus and in the whole Mediterranean area.

Poachers without limits in Italy

Two bad news for birds that are migrating through Italy.
The first one concerns a seriour act of intimidation against the ringing station of the island of Lampedusa where poachers destroyed the ringing station and set fire to a car because they would like poaching without any witness. The ringing monitoring at that island is made by the Palermo ringing station and is coordinated by Ispra within the "Small Island" project started in 1988.

Moreover the other bad news concerns the situation at the Strait of Messina where for the first time after several years the Italian government is refusing to send the anti-poaching task force. At that site, last year poachers killed 400 hundreds Honey Buzzards in the area close to the city of Reggio Calabria. This decision could cause a massacre of migratory birds frustrating the results obtained in more than 20 years of protectionist activities.

We send our solidarity to the Sicilian ornithologists active in Lampedusa island and we express our disapproval for the government choices.

Here following two links where you can find more informations (in italian):
LIPU - BirdLife Italy
Ispra