Saker Falcon spotted near the cliffs in Ischia

A rare specimen of saker falcon (“Falco cherrug” the scientific name), probably a young one, was observed and photographed close to the cliffs of the island of Ischia.

Precisely in the perimeter of the marine protected area Regno di Nettuno, during an organized outing for the master Natural Capital and protected areas, organized by the same marine protected area. The author of the survey, the first on the territory of the island of Ischia and only the third ever in Campania, is Stefano Costa, who deals with the management of protected areas in Piedmont.

The saker falcon is a large bird of prey with a wingspan of up to 130 cm: it is very rare and in decline in Europe, where less than 600 pairs remain, concentrated between Hungary and Slovakia.

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In Italy the species does not nest, but migrates and winters with a few individuals that fly above all over Sicily and other southern regions. "The avifauna of the marine protected area is enriched by a new species that had never been detected on the island - explains the director of the Kingdom of Nettuno, Tonino Miccio - and it is good news for the biodiversity of the island.

It is no coincidence that in recent months we had promoted a campaign to monitor avifauna in synergy with the Ardea association”. A campaign during which another historic observation was recorded, that of a red-footed booby, a pantropical species.

In Campania, the saker falcon has been seen only twice, in 1993 and 2003. “In both cases – explains ornithologist Rosario Balestrieri, president of Ardea – the specimens were wounded and taken to the recovery center.

The most recent individual, found in the province of Benevento, was released shortly after; while there is no information about the one from 1993”. In 2010, a conservation project for the species was launched, funded by the European Community, to follow the Saker Falcons of Romania, Hungary and Slovakia with GPS: a project thanks to which numerous GPS tracks were collected and new, interesting and useful aspects for the conservation of the species were discovered.

From these paths of points returned via satellite on the geographical map it was seen that not infrequently the species flew over Campania, while remaining completely invisible to the eyes of ornithologists and birdwatchers. Not in Ischia, apparently.