Avocetta,
vol. 29,
n. 1, 2005
Abstracts
Caratteristiche
del sito di nidificazione, densità e biologia
riproduttiva
dell’averla piccola Lanius collurioin
Italia centrale
: 5-11
GASPARE
GUERRIERI,
AMALIA CASTALDI
GAROL
(Gruppo Attività Ricerche Ornitologiche del Litorale), Via Villabassa 45,
I-00124 Roma (g.guerrieri@mclink.it)
Abstract
-
Nest-site features, density and breeding biology of the red-backed shrike Lanius
collurio in Central Italy. We studied the
reproductive
biology of red-backed shrike Lanius collurio in two mediterranean and
temperate areas of Central Italy from 1992 to1998.
Dates
of settlement, nest-building and egg-laying did not differ between the study
areas. Mediterranean area had a lower density of breeding
pairs
(0.49 pairs/10 ha) than the temperate area (1.66 pairs/10 ha), and hosted more
unmated males. Nests height was higher in the
mediterranean
area, while the average clutch size was significantly lower. The number of
sterile eggs and the average number of fledglings
did
not differ between areas, while nest loss due to predation was significantly
higher in the mediterranean area. Moreover, unsuccessful
pairs
abandoned their territory more frequently in mediterranean area and number of
non-breeding pairs was higher compared to
temperate
area. Higher predation rates might be the main reason for the lower breeding
performance of red-backed shrikes in mediterranean
areas.
Sex and age ratios of marsh
harriers Circus aeruginosus
wintering
in central-southern Italy: 13-17
MICHELE
PANUCCIO,
BRUNO
D’AMICIS,
EMANUELA
CANALE,
AMELIA
ROCCELLA
MEDRAPTORS
(Mediterranean Raptor Migration Network), via Mario Fioretti 18, I-00152 Roma,
Italy (medraptors@raptormigration.org)
Abstract
–
In this study we analyse the age and sex ratios of marsh harriers wintering in
central Italy and Sicily. Among adults, most
individuals
were females (88%), whereas males accounted for only 12% of the observations.
There was no difference in the proportion
of
juveniles and adults. The remarkable difference in numbers of males and females
seems to support the hypothesis that, at least among
adults
crossing the central Mediterranean, males show a stronger tendency to migrate
over longer distances. Among the proposed hypotheses
explaining
intraspecific differences in avian migration patterns, the Bergmann’s rule,
which predicts that larger individuals (i.e.
females
in this case) are better adapted to survive in colder climates, appears to be in
agreement with our results, whereas other hypotheses
based
on social dominance are less supported by our data, as suggested by the similar
proportion of juveniles and adults.
Distribuzione
e consistenza delle popolazioni nidificanti di
forapaglie
comune Acrocephalus schoenobaenusin
Italia
: 19-26
PIERANDREA
BRICHETTI,
NUNZIO GRATTINI,
FAUSTA LUI3
1CISO
Via V. Veneto 30, I-25029 Verolavecchia (BS) (pbrichetti@aliceposta.it); 2Via
P. Gobetti 29, I-46020 Pegognaga (MN);
3Via
Bardelle 52 , I-46027 San Benedetto Po (MN)
Abstract
-
Breeding distribution and abundance of sedge warbler Acrocephalus
schoenobaenus in Italy. In this review, we critically
examine
the present status of the sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus in
Italy, providing new information on the population abundance.
The
breeding area of the species is at present discontinuous and unstable, and is
limited to the central-eastern Po-Valley and Tuscany.
Both
the historical and the present distributions are based either on generic data or
unsafe assumptions, probably referring to late
migrators
presence. The Italian breeding population is estimated at 15-25 pairs in the
years 1994-2004, with a noticeable decrease compared
to
the 30-100 pairs in the ‘80s. The Mincio Valleys (Lombardy) is the only
permanently used site (4 breeding pairs), while no further
evidence
of breeding has been recorded in the Busatello wetlands since 1997. The local
habitat loss is likely to be one of the main
factors
of population decrease, although the north-western European population fluctuate
in relation to the draughts in the wintering quarters
of
Western Africa.
Autumn migration strategies of honey buzzards, black
kites,
marsh and Montagu’s harriers over land and over water
in the
Central
Mediterranean
: 27-32
MICHELE
PANUCCIO,
NICOLANTONIO
AGOSTINI,
UGO
MELLONE
MEDRAPTORS
(Mediterranean Raptor Migration Network), via Mario Fioretti 18, I-00152 Roma,
Italy (medraptors@raptormigration.org)
Abstract
–
Observations on the autumn migration of honey buzzards Pernis apivorus,
black kites Milvus migrans, marsh Circus aeruginosus
and
Montagu’s harriers C. pygargus were made between 24 August and 10
September 2004 at the western slope of the Calabrian
Apennines
(Straits of Messina) and over Panarea (Lipari Islands). The aim was to compare
the post-reproductive migration patterns of
these
raptors over land and over water along two parallel flight paths, as well as to
verify the existence of a migratory movement of the
black
kite across the southern Tyrrhenian Sea in this period. A total of 7738 raptors
were counted at both sites, most of which were honey
buzzards
(73.7%), black kites (9.1%) and marsh harriers (16.0%). Only 838 birds were seen
over Panarea, most of which were marsh
harriers
(75.3%). No black kites were observed on Panarea. Thus, while marsh harriers
migrated on a broad front, honey buzzards and
black
kites migrated over land and approached the Straits of Messina en route towards
the Channel of Sicily, between western Sicily and
Cap
Bon in north Africa. This study shows no indication of a black kite migration
across the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Finally, our results
confirm
that, unlike spring migration, few Montagu’s harriers cross the Central
Mediterranean during post-reproductive movements.
Short communications
A new case of interspecific brood parasitism in the
common moorhen
Gallinula
chloropus
: 33-36
ALIN
DAVID,
CASINA
VASS,
IOAN
COROIU
Riassunto
–
Un nuovo caso di parassitismo interspecifico di cova
nella
gallinella d’acqua Gallinula
chloropus. Con questo lavoro
segnaliamo il
quarto caso di parassitismo interspecifico di cova
nella gallinella
d’acqua, rilevato nello stagno di Campenesti (Cluj
County, Romania)
nel 2004, in un nido di tarabusino Ixobrychus
minutus.
L’osservazione costituisce anche il secondo caso in cui
la
specie parassitata appartiene al genere Ixobrychus.
La
comunità ornitica in un’area agricola lombarda dal 1971 al 1986
: 36-39
FLAVIO
FERLINI
Abstract
– The
avian community of an agricultural area of Lom -
bardy
(N Italy) between 1971 and 1986. I collected data on the
occurrence
of bird species in an agricultural area of Lombardy
(45°
- 6’ N, 9° - 6’ E), between 1971 and 1986. Overall, 107 species
were
recorded. The yearly species richness and the number of
species
of conservation concern (SPEC) did not significantly
declined
during the study period. However, the number of breeding
non-passerines
and insectivorous species decreased significantly
over
the study period. These results confirm the negative
population
trends of some species related to agricultural habitats
observed
elsewhere in Europe.
Rubriche
Popolazioni
di uccelli acquatici nidificanti in Italia - Resoconto 2001: 41-44
A cura di Lorenzo Serra & Pierandrea Brichetti
Nuovi
avvistamenti: 44-50
a cura di Emiliano Arcamone
Recensioni:
51-52
Ornitologia
italiana su riviste straniere: 52-54
A cura di Alberto Sorace
Avocetta,
vol. 29,
n. 2, 2005
Abstracts
Spatial
and seasonal variation in nocturnal autumn and spring migration patterns in the
western Mediterranean area: a moon-watching survey: 63-73
Barbara
Trösch, Roberto Lardelli, Felix Liechti, Dieter Peter & Bruno Bruderer
Schweizerische
Vogelwarte, CH-6204 Sempach, Switzerland (info@vogelwarte.ch)
Abstract
- Nocturnal
autumn and spring migration patterns around the western half of the
Mediterranean sea
were investigated simultaneously in different countries by means of an improved
moon-watching method. This report is based on over 6000 individual observations
reported by up to 160 volunteer observers from 45-62 sites (depending on season
and weather), and the data were collected and analysed by the Swiss
Ornithological Institute. Intensities and directions of migration are presented
for the full-moon periods of autumn 1996, 1998 and spring
1997. In
autumn, westerly directions of migration prevailed in northern
Italy
, shifting towards SW along the French Mediterranean coast and to SW-SSW on the
Iberian peninsula
, with deviations and scattered directions near relevant topographical features.
In autumn, migration intensities were high in northern
Italy
, slightly lower along the Mediterranean coast and reached again high values
across the Iberian peninsula, while low intensities occurred in central
Italy
and on the islands. In spring, directions of migration were around NE-NNE in
all areas, and the intensities were more evenly distributed over the observation
areas than in autumn, suggesting that spring migration occurs on a broader front
than autumn migration. Relatively strong NE-NNE migration in northern
Italy
suggests arrivals from the sea and direct crossing of the
Alps
. Intense spring movements across the Mediterranean and
Adriatic sea
are indicated by intense migration across the central part of the Italian
peninsula.
Diversità
e struttura dell'avifauna in una successione post incendio di bosco
meso-mediterraneo: 75-84
Enrico
Bellia
Dipartimento
di Biologia Animale, Via Archirafi 18, I- 90123 Palermo (enricobellia@hotmail.com)
Abstract
–
Diversity
and turn-over of a bird community along a secondary post-fire succession of a
Mediterranean wood.
I
analysed the species richness, the turn-over and the structure of the bird
communities along a secondary post-fire succession (Erico-Quercion ilicis) in
the
Madonie
Regional
Park
(
Sicily
). During the springs 2002 and 2003, I made 475 random point counts in 6
sampling areas burned between 1993 and 2001, and in 4 control areas not burned
since 25 or 50 years. Overall, 33 bird species were recorded in the secondary
succession. Species richness was positively related to the time elapsed from
fire, according to a logarithmic curve that reached a plateau 25-30 years after
fire. The turn-over of species decreased during the succession, even if the
relationship was only marginally significant. In the first stages of post-fire
succession the turn-over reflected the recolonisation by species of shrubby
vegetation. Bird communities in each post-fire stage form an ordered nested
subset of the whole forest community. The investigated bird community showed a
relatively high resistance and resilience to fire perturbation and was able to
recover completely in 25 years after fire.
Short communications
Escherichia
coli infection in house sparrows: are there
implications for sexual selection?: 85-89
Marnie Archbold,
Aldo Poiani &
Glenn Browning
Artificial lights and mortality of Cory’s shearwater Calonectris
diomedea on a Mediterranean island: 89-91
Nicola Baccetti, Paolo Sposimo &
Francesca Giannini
Riassunto
– Luci artificiali e mortalità della
berta maggiore Calonectris diomedea su
un’isola mediterranea. Si riporta il rinvenimento di giovani berte
maggiori, appena involate dal nido, che erano state attratte da faretti
recentemente attivati all’interno del porticciolo dell’isola toscana di
Pianosa. Il fenomeno, che in assenza di interventi avrebbe potuto portare alla
perdita almeno del 12% del totale di giovani involati nel 2004, è ben noto per
la sua gravità al di fuori del Mediterraneo. Si sono sperimentate con apparente
successo forme di illuminazione alternativa.
Rubriche
Commissione
Ornitologica Italiana (COI) - Report 19: 93-97
A cura di Pierandrea Brichetti & Daniele Occhiato
Resoconto
Ornitologico Italiano - Anno 2004: 98-102
a cura di Ugo Mellone. Maurizio Sighele & Emiliano Arcamone
Recensioni:
103-104
Ornitologia
italiana su riviste straniere: 104-105
A cura di Alberto Sorace
News:
107
a cura della Redazione