Last weekend we organized an urban birdwatching event in Naples, in the company of the natural science divulger and friend Salvatore Ferraro. The hike involved the external part of the Virgiliano (due to a sudden closure of the city park), the Discesa Gaiola and the homonymous beach and gave participants a checklist of 30 bird species.
The morning began with a facing on the former industrial area of Bagnoli, a place polluted by the wicked actions of man but characterized by different microenvironments that support the livelihood of many forms of life. Near the ponds there, we have spotted, albeit distant, 3 Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) and 10 Eurasian Coots (Fulica atra), while in the open areas nearby two males of Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), gamefowl introduced in Europe in historical times and present on the our territory following restocking for hunting purposes.
Along the descent towards Gaiola, the participants were able to observe two species related to the cliff environment: the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the Common Raven (Corvus corax), both nesting along this stretch of coast.
The hike ended in the suggestive setting of Gaiola, where we observed, in addition to the seagulls, a Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), a quite common species during the winter on the Campania seafront.
Checklist of the day:
- Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
- Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
- Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
- Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
- Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
- Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
- Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)
- Feral Pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica)
- Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
- Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
- Grey Wigtail (Motacilla cinerea)
- European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
- Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
- Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)
- Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
- Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)
- Cetti’s Warbler (Cettia cetti)
- Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
- Great Tit (Parus major)
- Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
- Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)
- Western Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
- Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
- Common Raven (Corvus corax)
- Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
- Italian Sparrow (Passer italiae)
- Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
- European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
- European Serin (Serinus serinus)
