Italian Republic

Italian Sparrow Passer italiae ©Loz (L B Tettenborn) Website

Italy is a country in Europe. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea it shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the enclaved microstates San Marino and Vatican City. It covers an area of over 300,000 km² (116,000 square miles) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 59 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe. The capital and largest city is Rome with 2.75 million people, followed by Milan, Naples, Turin and Palermo.

The Apennine Mountains form the peninsula’s backbone and the Alps form most of its northern boundary, where Italy’s highest point is located. The Po, Italy’s longest river (652 kilometres or 405 miles), flows from the Alps on the western border with France and crosses the Padan plain on its way to the Adriatic Sea. The five largest lakes are, in order of diminishing size: Garda, Maggiore, Como, Trasimeno and Bolsena. Four different seas surround the Italian Peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea from three sides: the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea in the south, and the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west. Most of rivers of Italy drain either into the Adriatic Sea, such as the Po, Piave, Adige, Brenta, Tagliamento, and Reno, or into the Tyrrhenian, like the Arno, Tiber and Volturno.

Mount Cimone, Northern Apenines – ©SchiDD, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

National parks cover about 5% of the country and Italy has the highest level of faunal biodiversity in Europe, with over 57,000 species recorded, representing more than a third of all European fauna. There are 102 mammals species in Italy, over 550 bird species and 56,213 invertebrates species.

Birding Italy

Italy is generally avoided by foreign birders due to the continuing rumour that there is nothing to see in Italy except for House Sparrows which is – of course – completely wrong. Birding in Italy is not easy, that’s true, but it can be very productive.

Connecting continental Europe to Africa across the Mediterranean, Italy is a natural bridge both for trans-Saharan migrants and for endemic species, and so its birding is more interesting than you might expect.

In comparison to two other classical European birding destinations; France and Spain, Italy is a more built-up country with not as many wilderness areas remaining. However, hunting pressure has decreased a lot and generally, in contrast with France, there is no longer any need to be worried about aggressive clashes between naturalists and hunters. Moreover, birding culture is growing up among young Italian people and a binocular-bearing tourist is no longer seen as a strange fellow or as a spy. Just watch out though, as a general warning, do not to leave your equipment in your unattended car. Last but not least, when birding is over, do not forget you are in a country with two thousand five hundred years of history and the chance to visit important archaeological sites (Greek, Etruscan, Roman, etc.) as well as world-class museums!

Foreign birders coming from the US or from Northern Europe, are generally interested in Mediterranean endemics. Thus, the best period to visit Italy is April-July when most of the trans-Saharan passerines are on their breeding grounds in Europe. Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata; Marmora’s Warbler Sylvia sarda; Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata; Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala; Bonelli’s Warbler Phyloscopus bonelli; Black headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala; are small passerines typical of Southern Italy, and are not difficult to spot when they are singing. Lanner Falcon biarmicus feldeggii; Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca; Rock Bunting Emberiza cia as well as Slender-billed Gull Larus genei and Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii; are all-year birds but also generally more easily to watch in the summer.

Strait of Messina – ©Jeanne Griffin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Since 1984 a survey has taken place each spring for the study and the protection of migrating Raptors and other soaring birds organised at the Straits of Messina, Southern Italy.

Nearly all the Western Palaearctic raptor species have been counted at the Straits of Messina and it is one of the best place to see all the Harriers, Red-footed Falcon, Lesser Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, European Lanner etc.; it is the only place where there is the possibility of seeing Amur Falcon. The site is also very good for all the typical Mediterranean birds and in total well over 300 species have been recorded so far.

Top Sites
  • Central Italy

    The Tirrenium coast is a large area including Tuscany and Latium with many opportunities to go birding especially outside the hunting season. From North to South, there are several marsh areas surrounded by Mediterranean macchia which can be attractive for overseas birders. Lago di Massaciuccoli near Pisa is an important stopover place for migrants in spring (March-May) but hunting pressure in Autumn is too high for a very productive birding visit. Close to Migliarino-San Rossore reserve area, the river Serchio`s mouth is a hotspot for migrants (the first Booted Warbler for Italy was seen here in 1999) and for seabirds. Try to spot Yelkouan and Mediterranean Shearwaters from the coast.Padule di Fucecchio is a natural reserve area between Pistoia and Lucca with an observation tower and is surely worth a visit. European Night-heron, Squacco and Purple Herons and Cattle Egret are breeding in a small heronry, as well as Moustached Warbler (A melanopogon); Savi's and Cetti's Warblers. The southern part of Tuscany is called Maremma, one of the few remaining wild areas in Italy, which is also known for the Etruscan necropolis. The area is also noteworthy for birding, with Short-toed Eagle, Lanner, European Roller and Great-spotted Cuckoo and a lot of songbirds. I recommend a visit to the Orbetello lagoon and Monti dell'Uccellina. During migration the Arcipelago toscano is a necessary stopover for several migrants. In April-May almost anything can pass here, especially through Capraia which is an important ringing station for birds from all over the Mediterranean. Other sites of interest in Central Italy : Monti dellaTolfa, PN del Circeo, PN Monti Sibillini, PN d'Abruzzo.
  • North East Italy

    Don't miss the coastal lagoon area between Venice and Trieste, especially the Riserva Naturale Isola della Cona e foce dell`Isonzo, which offers one of the most impressive birding facility in Italy. From its superb watch tower, you can spot more than 100 species in a day (294 is the whole reserve's check list); including: Spoonbill, Cattle and Squacco Herons, Greylag Goose, Glossy Ibis, at least 20 species of Waders, and in Nov-Jan, thousands of curlew (and Whimbrel) and flocks of hundreds of over-wintering ducks. In the same area, Marano and Grado lagoons and Caorle lagoon (N Venice lagoon) are also nice spots. A particular mention should be made of the Parco naturale del delta del Po (Po Delta); which is the widest marsh delta area in Italy, and a suitable area for Gull-billed Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Pygmy Cormorant, Black and Whiskered Tern, Ferruginous Duck and of course for migrant ducks and waders. The most well-known areas for birding in the Po delta are Sacca degli Scardovari, Valle Bertuzzi Valle Mandriole, Punta Alberete and Valle Cavanata. Not far from the coast another interesting area is Valle del Mezzano (with a Red-footed Falcon colony) which can be visited along with Valli Santa e Campotto. If you want to visit here I would recommend an overnight stay in the ancient city of Ravenna.
  • Northern Italy

    The Alps are one of the remaining wildernesses left in the whole of Europe. If you are interested in alpine birds, the Italian side of the Alps can offer the following: Red-billed Chough, Alpine Chough, Rock Partridge, Alpine Accentor, Snow Finch, Treecreeper and of course, Golden Eagle and Lammergeiger. In the Alps it is difficult to recommend a single spot: but Parco nazionale del Gran Paradiso (NW Italy) hosts both Alpine and Red-billed Chough, Parco nazionale dello Stelvio (NE Italy) Lammergeiger as well as Hazel Grouse and Capercaille, and the Dolomites area in Trentino is very good for Black Woodpecker, Pygmy and Tengmalm's Owls.
  • Sardinia

    Sardinia is another recommended birding destination; it looks different from Sicily with much wider Mediterranean macchia and oak forests and more salty lagoons that are important sites for endangered species (Purple Swamphen, Greater Flamingo, & Slender-billed Gull). Close to Cagliari, Molentargius & stagni di Quartu are nice spots especially for breeding Greater Flamingos, Gull-billed Tern and Slender-billed Gull. Also the secretive Purple Swamphen is present. The place is difficult to explore, since a reed bed strip hampers the view of Molentargius lake, but Quartu ponds are easy to locate and in open view. San Pietro island hosts one of the best known Eleonora's Falcon colony, and the island is also good for small passerines such as Marmora's Warbler. On the W coast, the Stagni di Cabras & Santa Giusta are salt-water ponds and an important area for migrant waders and ducks: not far from here, a Griffon Vulture colony (Bosa) is of particular interest since some pairs regularly breed on the sea cliffs. For those interested in mountain areas, Gennargentu & Parco Nazionale Golfo Orosei are unbelievably wild and remote sites with plenty of inaccessible gorges where, formerly, Griffon and Lammergeiger as well as the Hooded Vulture were breeding. Finally, in the North West is the wonderful Asinara Island, which is now accessible for birding (Shag, Rock Sparrow, and much more - you have to book in advance).
  • Sicily

    Sicily is a wild, fascinating place, and, whilst birding is not easy, it can offer some incredible surprises! Sicily hosts the biggest Lanner population in Europe (100-120 pairs); 15-20 pairs of Bonelli's Eagle, Egyptian Vulture (a few, and declining); the most important Collared Pratincole colony in Italy (Biviere di Gela); and is the most important raptor-migration hotspot in the Southern Mediterranean. The only records of Amur Falcon in the Western Palaearctic have been reported from the Stretto di Messina, along with 20-30.000 Honey Buzzards, some individual Long-legged and Steppe Buzzards, Pallid Harrier, Siberian Peregrine and the occasionally Barbary Falcon. If you need more information about the anti-poaching camp, please contact us. The Eastern Coast: (Foce del Simeto, Saline di Priolo, Saline di Siracusa, Vendicari, Longarini) is a poorly known area, but really is a vagrant trap for migrants crossing the Western Mediterranean towards the Balkans. Isabelline Wheatear, Isabelline Shrike, Sociable Plover, Caspian Gull, Great black-headed Gull can be seen here (but is, of course, ia matter of luck) in May-June, this part of Sicily is also very scenic! On the opposite side of Sicily, Riserva naturale dello Stagnone e saline di Trapani and near Palermo, the Riserva dello Zingaro are two beautiful areas well worth a visit.
  • Southern Italy

    Two destinations stand out above all others and are recommended. The first one is the Apulian Murgia, an open dry plateau with the largest colony of Lesser Kestrel in continental Italy, (also good for Black-eared Wheatear, Roller, Tawny Pipit, Calandra Lark, Nightjar and Barn Owl) and on the coast, the poorly known Daunia Risi & Saline di Mafredonia, famous due the over wintering presence of a few Slender-billed Curlews some year ago (- you have to book in advance -).
Contributors
  • Luciano Ruggieri

    | ruggiel@libero.it

  • Maurizio Maudoc Sighele

    | maudoc@libero.it

Number of Species
  • Number of bird species: 578

    (As at July 2024)

    National Bird - Italian Sparrow Passer italiae

Checklist
  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Italy , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.
  • CISO-COI

    Annotated Checklist
    Check-list of Italian birds - 2020
  • Wikipedia

    Annotated List
    This is a list of the bird species recorded in Italy. The avifauna of Italy included a total of 577 species recorded in the wild by March 2024, according to Avibase.
  • eBird

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Useful Reading

  • A Birdwatchers Guide to Italy

    | By Luciano Ruggieri & Igor Festari | Lynx Edicions | 2005 | Paperback | 303 pages, maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9788487334863 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds of Italy

    | By Marianne Taylor & Daniele Occhiato | Helm | 2024 | edition 2 | Paperback | 224 pages, 300 colour photos 1 colour Map | ISBN: 9781399410649 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Birds of Italy, Volume 1: Anatidae - Alcidae

    | By Pierandrea Brichetti & Giancarlo Fracasso | Edizioni Belvedere | 2018 | Hardback | 511 pages, 82 colour photos, 100 b/w illustrations, 181 b/w distribution maps | ISBN: 9788889504604 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Birds of Italy, Volume 2: Pteroclidae - Locustellidae

    | By Pierandrea Brichetti & Giancarlo Fracasso | Edizioni Belvedere | 2020 | Hardback | 415 pages, 82 colour photos, 15 b/w illustrations, 125 b/w distribution maps | ISBN: 9788889504635 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Birds of Italy, Volume 3: Cisticolidae - Icteridae

    | By Pierandrea Brichetti & Giancarlo Fracasso | Edizioni Belvedere | 2023 | Hardback | 435 pages, 82 colour photos, 30 b/w illustrations, 117 b/w distribution maps | ISBN: 9788889504734 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Festivals & Bird Fairs
  • International Birdwatching Fair - Po Delta

    Webpage
    The International Birdwatching and Nature Tourism Fair in Comacchio, Po Delta Park is the only specific and professional event held in Italy dedicated to birdwatching, wildlife photography and environmental tourism, internationally second only to the British Birdwatching Fair.
Museums & Universities
  • Museo di Carmagnola e dintorni

    Website
    Welcome to the Civic Museum of Natural History of Carmagnola!
Organisations
  • ACENVA

    Website
    Asociación para la Conservación y Estudio de la Naturaleza de Valladolid
  • CISO - Centro Italiano Studi Ornitologici

    Website
    CISO ONLUS (Italian Center for Ornithological Studies) is the association that brings together professionals and amateurs who are dedicated to ornithological research, united by the desire to develop and spread solid biological knowledge for the conservation of birds. The association is open to all those who share the principles and the spirit: to view the statute of the association click here.
  • GMSO - Gruppo Molisano Studi Ornitologici

    Facebook Page
    The Molisano Studi Ornitologici Group has its registered office at the University of Molise - ENVIX Laboratory - Termoli Headquarters. It is a regularly registered Scientific Association and has been set up as a No Profit Association.
  • Gruppo Piemontese Studi Ornitologici [GPSO]

    Facebook Page
    The official information platform for ornithologists and bird watchers of the Piedmont Region, in collaboration with G.P.S.O. (Piemontese Group of Ornithological Studies)
  • Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica

    Information
    The INFS has the task of recording the environmental heritage made up of wild fauna, of studying its state, its evolution and its relations with other environmental components, of developing projects for the reconstitution or improvement of animal communities and natural environments.
  • Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)

    Website
    The Institute performs scientific, technical and research functions as well as assessment, monitoring, control, communication, training and education activities. Supports the Ministry in several environmental sectors i.e. marine and water environments, soil, air, habitats, ecosystems and biodiversity.
  • LIPU - Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli

    Website
    The Lipu is the association for the conservation of nature, the protection of biodiversity, the promotion of ecological culture in Italy. With 30,000 supporters, almost 100 local Sections, over 600 active volunteers, dozens of operators, technicians, educators, Lipu is a point of reference for the defence of nature in Italy. We treat every year more than 15,000 wild animals in difficulty in numerous Recovery Centers or First Aid in various parts of Italy. We manage 30 Oasis and Reserves where nature is protected and people can visit it, know it, fall in love with it.
  • LIPU - Oasi Costiera

    Website
    Local Group
  • LIPU - Oasi di Massaciuccoli

    Website
    The "Chiarone Nature Reserve" was established in 1979 with the birth of Parco Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli. In 1985 it was entrusted to the Italian Bird Protection League - BirdLife Italia, thus the LIPU Massaciuccoli Oasis was born.
  • LIPU - Oasi di Racconigi

    Website
    The Center was founded in December 1985 for the re-production of the White Stork, a species extinct from Italy as a nester since the eighteenth century, thanks to the collaboration between the Italian Lega Protection Bird and the passionate ornithologist Bruno Vaschetti.
  • Novara Birdwatching Association

    Website
    The official web site of Novara Birdwatching Association, Italy…
  • Scricciolo - Italian Ornithological Web Site

    Website
    Lots of info and links.
  • Wetlands International Cormorant Research Group

    Website
    To Promote the Knowledge of the Ecology and Life History of Cormorants (Aves - Phalacrocoracidae)
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • NP Gran Paradiso

    InformationSatellite View
    Gran Paradiso National Park is an Italian national park in the Graian Alps, between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont regions. There are more than 100 bird species in the park, including Eurasian eagle-owl, rock ptarmigan, alpine accentor, and chough. Golden eagles nest on rocky ledges, and sometimes in trees. Wallcreeper are found on steep cliffs. There are black woodpeckers and nutcrackers in the park's woodlands.
  • NP Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre

    InformationSatellite View
    Located in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northern Italy, it is the smallest national park in Italy at 4,300 acres, but also the densest with 5,000 permanent inhabitants among the five towns. In addition to the territory of the towns of Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare), the Cinque Terre National Park encompasses parts of the communes of Levanto (Punta Mesco) and La Spezia (Campiglia Sunsets).
  • NP Po Delta Interregional Park

    InformationSatellite View
    …The fauna of Parco del Delta del Po is undoubtedly one of the most valuable elements of the protected area. Besides the Park's 460 Vertebrate species, the birds of the Po Delta represent an extraordinarily precious heritage, with more than 300 reported species during the last decades, 150 of which are nesting and more than 180 wintering. Such richness turns the Park into the most important ornithological area in Italy and one of the most relevant in Europe…
  • NP Stelvio

    InformationSatellite View
    The park is the largest in Italy and covers part of two regions: Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Lombardia, in 24 municipalities. Birds include hazel grouse, lammergeier, ravens, carrion crow, great spotted woodpeckers, black woodpeckers, buzzards, nutcrackers, Eurasian dotterels, rock partridges, western capercaillies, Eurasian eagle-owls and golden eagles.
  • NR Bosco di Alcamo

    InformationSatellite View
    The Nature Reserve Bosco di Alcamo is a natural protected area of Regione Siciliana located on the top of monte Bonifato, which dominates the town of Alcamo. The forest hosts various kinds of birds such as: woodpigeons, jays, turtledoves, kestrels, thrushs, blackbirds, great spotted woodpeckers, robins, buzzards, woodcock, great tits, greenfinches, serin, tits and goldfinches. here are also many mammals such as:porcupines, foxes, weasels, wild rabbits, hedgehogs.
  • NR Mount Salviano

    InformationSatellite View
    It lies in the territory of the comune (municipality) of Avezzano, in the Province of L'Aquila. The reserve is named after Mount Salviano, a massif that extends northwest to southwest dividing the Fucine basin from the Palentine Plains, in the Marsica sub-region. Avifauna: common buzzard, griffon vulture, kestrel, peregrine falcon and many other birds frequent the reserve wood.
  • NR Oasi Cervara - Parc Naturale del Fiume Sile

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The Naturalistic Oasis of Mulino Cervara is located in the heart of Veneto in Santa Cristina di Quinto di Treviso. The park entrance is located along the Provincial Road 17 that from Quinto di Treviso leads to Badoere di Morgano. Our park is an ancient wetland (about 25 hectares) located 40 km north of Venice along the Sile River.
  • NR Pineta Dannunziana

    InformationSatellite View
    Nature Reserve Pineta Dannunziana is a 53-hectare (130-acre) nature reserve located in Pescara, Abruzzo.
  • NR Riserva naturale Crava Morozzo

    WebpageSatellite View
    The Crava Morozzo Nature Reserve was the first protected area in the history of Lipu (with the mention of Oasi di Crava Morozzo). It was established in 1979 thanks to a resolution and agreements between the Municipalities of Morozzo, Mondovì and Rocca de 'Baldi and the Province of Cuneo. Later identified as a Special Nature Reserve by the Piedmont Region and included within the Alta Valle Pesio Regional Park.
  • NR Savio River

    InformationSatellite View
    The Savio River Reserve extends along the River Savio. The River has preserved its natural course and its high-water bed is one of the few original landscapes left unchanged in the area around Cesena.
  • NR Valle Cavanata WII

    InformationSatellite View
    It is a 327-hectare (810-acre) protected area situated in the easternmost part of the Grado Lagoon in Grado. The fish farming activities were maintained until 1995; after which, the management of the water levels in the Valle Cavanata has been oriented to favor the bird fauna especially. 260 bird species have been identified.
  • Protected areas of Italy

    InformationSatellite View
    9 Biosphere Reserves, 32 Nature Reserves, 16 RAMSAR sites, and more...
  • SPA Triangolo lariano

    InformationSatellite View
    The Special Protection Area covers 593 hectares, located in the Corni di Canzo (Horns of Canzo). Its protection concerns 84 precious bird species (including the honey buzzard, peregrine falcon, rock partridge, eagle owl, nightjar, tawny pipit, red-backed shrike and ortolan bunting) and their habitats, e.g. the natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates.
  • Wetlands

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Italy currently has 56 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 73,308 hectares.
Sightings, News & Forums
  • Italy Rare Bird Alert

    Sightings
    The report below shows observations of rare birds in Italy. Includes both unreviewed and reviewed/approved observations.
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Birding in Italy - Marco Valtriani

    Tour Operator
    Birding in Italy is the website for those who want to discover this country through binoculars’ lenses. We will guide you to the best birding spots our country has to offer, along with many of the other locations that make Italy a classic destination for the discerning traveler. Our experience in both famous parks and little-known hotspots can help you observe many rare, local, and challenging species.
  • HeatherLea

    Tour Operator
    Italy - Po Delta and Venice Fascinating birding in one of Europe's most important National Parks, followed by a fantastic few days in Venice.
  • K' Nature

    Guides
    The Eternal City of Italy, despite being one of the most populous metropolis of Europe, has multiple areas with a high naturalness. The historical gardens, the archaeological sites and the banks of the Tiber represent the ideal habitat for numerous species of birds.
  • NatureTrek

    Tour Operator
    Italy casts its magical spell on many of its visitors, who find themselves returning again and again to explore different regions of this wonderful part of Europe.
  • Rockjumper

    Tour Operator
    We currently have no scheduled tours running in Italy.
  • Skua Nature

    Tour Operator
    Thanks to a vast global network of contacts and collaborations, we are the ideal partner for the development of your areas or ideas!
  • Tuscany Untouched

    Tour Operator
    Regardless of whether you are an amateur Tuscany bird watcher or a seasoned specialist, Italy has a vast amount to offer.
  • Walking in Etruria - Marco Valtriani

    Guide
    Are you considering a walking tour in Tuscany? Something off the beaten track, away from the crazy crowds? Are you an inquisitive traveler with high expectations? You’ve come to the right place.
Trip Reports
  • 2015 [-7 July] - Greenwings

    PDF Report
    The Dolomites are a distinctive and beautiful area that takes its name from the crystalline magnesium limestone rocks that make up the peaks that tower vertically above the valleys. The shape of these mountains is unique, having risen out of the sea around 250 million years ago.
  • 2015 [04 April] - Simon Colenutt - Tuscany

    PDF Report
    ...I decided to get up early today and do a little birding. I birded an area of grassland and scrub plus into some pretty birdless mixed woodland in the hotel grounds. Hare were abundant this early in the morning before people were around and there were also many Roe Deer. I added Redstart, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Garden Warbler and Sardinian Warbler to the trip list but otherwise it was relatively slow going and birds were pretty unapproachable in general although I had nice views of Firecrest and Short-toed Treecreeper....
  • 2015 [09 September] - Honeyguide

    PDF Report
    Having picked up Karen and Mike at the railway station and dropped them at the hotel, it was time to go to the airport to meet the Ryanair flight which, as chance would have it, was about an hour late and rougher than most people enjoy.
  • 2016 [03 March] - Paul Tout

    PDF Report
    This holiday, as for every Honeyguide holiday, also puts something into conservation in our host country by way of a contribution to the wildlife that we enjoyed. The conservation contribution of £40 per person was supplemented by Gift Aid and we were able to give £250 to DOPPS (BirdLife Slovenia). As at the end of March 2016, the total for all conservation contributions through Honeyguide since 1991 was £105,338.
  • 2016 [06 June] - Chris Durdin - Italian Dolomites

    PDF Report
    On the rocks were pink Primula hirsuta and in the bushes a close-up view of a willow tit, perhaps the best I have ever seen. Another ring ouzel showed here and two cuckoos flew past.
  • 2019 [05 May] - Rick Wright

    PDF Report
    ...At Gropina, a little-visited Romanesque church with a famous and weird Lombard pulpit, a Cirl Bunting chirred from the olive groves, and Serins, Linnets, and Common Cuckoos sang all around the ancient stone huts of Campocatino...
  • 2019 [06 June] - Jessica Turner

    PDF Report
    ...We then set off towards the Sella Pass (2218 metres), again enjoying the magnificent views. We parked at the Pass and briefly explored, adding the richly coloured Alpine Sainfoin (Hedysarum hedysaroides subsp. exaltatum). Alpine Chough were wheeling around and a pair of Snowfinch were very confiding as they gathered food. Another heavy shower approached, so we retraced our steps back to Tamion. After a break, we met to discuss the day and do the checklist before another excellent meal...
  • 2021 [09 September] - Willem Proesmans

    PDF Report
    Northern Italy quickly came to my mind because of the diverse habitats, the large number of amphibian and reptile taxa, many of which have a very restricted range, and – of course, in times of covid – the ease to get there. Like last year in Portugal, I was joined by Bart and Hans.
Places to Stay
  • La Scuola di Furio

    Accommodation
    LA SCUOLA Holiday Homes is open all year round to offer you a relaxing stay in close and confortable contact with the Tuscan countryside. In fact its right next to the Padule di Fucecchio Nature Reserve with its breeding Night Herons, Squacco & Purple Herons and Cattle Egret, as well as Moustached & Savi's Warblers etc…
  • Via Bruno Rossi 23

    Facebook Page
    Via Bruno Rossi 23 is a farmhouse B&B in a peaceful rural location in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Welcoming customers from all over the world.
Other Links
  • ASIO FLAMMEUS

    Website
    Grazie alle fatiche di Paola Bressan e Marco Mastrorilli, il primo sito mondiale interamente dedicato al Gufo di palude Asio flammeus
  • Birdcam

    Webcam
    Live cams on breeding peregrines and kestels
  • Cuneo Birding

    Website
    Ornithology and Birdwatching in the Province of Cuneo - In Italian
  • EBN-ITALIA- Il Birdwatching Italiano

    Website
    Italy is a natural bridge connecting continental Europe to Africa across the Mediterranean. The heterogeneity of natural habitats offers many opportunities to watch birds, starting from species typical of the Siberian taiga, as the Pygmy Owl, to an Indo-African species as the Bonelli's Eagle. The total number of bird species recorded in 1999 for Italy is 502!
  • For The Birds

    Website
    For the Birds is a portal that was born from the passion for all the birds of the world. Particular attention is paid to the curiosities, oddities that give us these fantastic animals: birds are seen as a source of inspiration for various activities that involve me, from study to educational and entertainment activities for children
  • Liguria Birding

    Website
    The observation and recognition of birds seen through the eyes of a group of passionate birders. Sightings, hot spots, stories, emotions in a harsh and beautiful region.
  • Maudoc Birding

    Website
    Photos, Stamps, Software, BirdLinks. An amateur site but very comprehensive!
  • Picchio Verde - Ornitologia e dintorni

    Information
    birds, birding and birdwatching in Italy
  • Quaderni di birdwatching

    Magazine
    On line Italian Birding Magazine: Quaderni di Birdwatching presenta articoli e note dal campo originali con particolare riguardo ai criteri identificativi dell'avifauna italiana. Coloro i quali sono interessati alla collaborazione o a inviare foto originali sono invitati a contattare la redazione. Il materiale originale presentato viene integralmente restituito
  • Taccuini di Birdwatching di Claudio Chiossi

    Website
    Osservazioni ornitologiche in zone e oasi italiane o durante viaggi all'estero
  • Verona Birdwatching

    Website
    Birdwatching around Verona: its more interesting sites, its check-list, a mailing list where to exchange information and sightings, the last observations online with photo and films, local excursions, links etc
Photographers & Artists
  • Artist - Silvia Gandin

    Website
    Silvia Gandini is a naturalistic illustrator. She uses different techniques: black-ink, watercolor, colored pencils, acrylics on various materials. Her favorite subjects are animals and flora and their natural habitats. Specializing in scientific illustration, she is contact with museum, universities, natural parks and specialists.
  • Phala's Birdphoto

    Gallery
    Bird Photos from Lombardy, Italy etc…
  • Photographer - Daniele Caccia

    Gallery
    Daniele Caccia - Val di Cornia, Livorno, Italy - Mi piace vivere il contatto con la natura, sono appassionato di fotografia naturalistica ed escursionismo,mi piace fotografare la natura a 36o gradi dal mare alla terra,dagli uccelli marini,ai mammiferi
  • Photographer - Fabio Damiani - Images from wildlife

    Gallery
    Benvenuto nel mio spazio web dedicato alla fotografia naturalistica, una passione quella per l'immagine e la natura che coltivo ormai da parecchio tempo. Le fotografie contenute in questo sito sono una piccola parte del lavoro fotografico da me svolto in questi ultimi anni, frutto di lunghi appostamenti, ricerca e tanta passione.
  • Photographer - Guido Bissattini

    Gallery
    Brilliant images
  • Photographer - Luca Bracci

    Gallery
    Welcome to my web site. Here you can have a look to my pictures
  • Photographer - Luigi Sebastiani

    Gallery
    Birds of Italy and Europe photo gallery - Galleria di foto degli uccelli presenti in Italia ed Europa
  • Photographer - Mauro Sanna Fotografi

    Gallery
    Italian wildlife photography
  • Photographer - Roberto Lerco

    Gallery
    Mi chiamo Roberto Lerco. Sono nato nel 1969 e vivo a Nesente, una piccola contrada a circa 6 Km. dal centro di Verona, con mia moglie Orietta e mio figlio Filippo. Con loro condivido la passione per i Viaggi e per la natura in generale. I miei hobbies sono il tennis, la fotografia naturalistica ed il birdwatching

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