Last Sunday we joined the World Wetlands Day, organizing, in collaboration with MedWet (Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative), an educational activity in Rome. Our ornithologist Andrea Senese set up an observation point dedicated to urban wetlands and birdlife of the Tiber Island, in front of the Pons Aemilius and the Ponte Palatino.
The event, free and open to tourists and citizens of all ages, was an effective opportunity not only to raise awareness of the importance and fragility of these environments, but also to show some of the most common species, yet unknown to most part of the people, present along the Tiber River. In fact, many people ignore the existence of more species of seagull or even do not know that, in addition to Yellow-legged Gulls, Hooded Crows and Feral Pigeons, in the city it is possible to observe species such as Great Cormorant, Grey Heron and Common Kingfisher. Among the most interesting observations of the day, a Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) with a colour-ring, which testifies to the Italian origin of the individual.
In addition, another theme treated was that of invasive species: urban and peri-urban environments are often colonized by species released into nature by man going to compete directly or indirectly with native plants and animals of the area. In freshwater ecosystems, these cause serious problems for the survival of native species, even leading to their local or regional disappearance.
Checklist of the day:
- Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
- Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
- Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
- Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
- Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
- Common Moorhen (Gallinula cholorpus)
- Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)
- Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
- Feral Pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica)
- White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
- Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
- European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
- Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
- Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)
- Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
- Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
- Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
