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Overview
The Italian WWF has created at Orbetello one of the best birding sites in Italy which has a wide range of birds at any time of year. It is now an important site for passage migrants and the range of habitats support breeding populations of many typically Mediterranean species.
Laguna di Orbetello is a large lagoon divided into two by a dam and two forested sandbars separate the lagoons from the sea but there are narrow channels allowing exchange of water between the lagoons and the sea.
The smaller Lago di Burano about 20 km to the southeast is a freshwater lake lying parallel to the sea.
The varied habitats include fresh, brackish and salt water, marshes and reedbeds, dunes, cultivated land, scrub and woodland of oak and pine.
Birds
Notable Species
Breeding birds include egrets, stilt and European Bee-eater, Stone-curlew, Montagu's Harrier and Great Spotted Cuckoo. Greater Flamingo is usually present throughout the year but does not breed, various waders and waterfowl occur on passage and grebes, ducks and herons winter in the area. Almost 300 species have been recorded here and 70 have bred.
The lagoons are separated from the sea by the Tombolo della Giannella which leads to Monte Argentario, a large rocky promontory with cliffs, oak groves and garrigue. Here, various warblers breed, Tawny Pipit, Ortolan Bunting and small numbers of Lesser Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Short-toed Eagle. Audouin's Gull can often be seen offshore.
Rarities
The globally rare Slender-billed Curlew has been recorded here on passage.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Bittern, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Greylag Goose, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Smew, Red-breasted Merganser, European Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Osprey, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Coot, Common Crane, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Stone-curlew, Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Northern Lapwing, Red Knot, Sanderling, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Mediterranean Gull, Audouin's Gull, Caspian Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Tern, Whiskered Tern, Great Spotted Cuckoo, European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Greater Short-toed Lark, Red-rumped Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Song Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Common Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Marmora's Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher, Wallcreeper, Penduline Tit, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Common Jay, Italian Sparrow, European Serin, Ortolan Bunting, Reed Bunting, Black-headed Bunting
Other Wildlife
Mammals occurring in this region include Polecat, Weasel and Badger and a long-standing introduction, the Crested Porcupine.
Tortoise are common.
The wide range of habitats gives rise to a rich and varied flora.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
The town of Orbetello is about 150km north of Rome on the S1 or Via Aurelia.
A permit is required to enter the Orbetello Reserve. There is an information centre and observation hide at the Orbetello reserve and Burano has a hide and nature trail.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
