Prima nidificazione del marangone minore Phalacrocorax pygmaeus nella Riserva Naturale Regionale Ripa Bianca di Jesi (Ancona)

Abstract

The Regional Nature Reserve “Ripa Bianca” near Jesi (Ancona, Italy), managed by WWF Italia, is characterized by a mixed forest on the banks of an artificial lake. In this site, since twenty years there have been the largest colony of Night Herons throughout the Marche Region, to which other species of Herons (Grey Heron, Little Egret, Little Bittern) have added over years. A.R.C.A. performs visual monitoring of the species living in the heronry. Particularly noteworthy the observation in Spring 2010 of Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmaeus nesting. The species was already observed during the Spring of 2008 and 2009, but until 2010 nesting was not established. The first direct observation of the nest is dated 05/06/2010 and the first pullus out of the nest was photographed on 20th August 2010. In Italy the Pygmy Cormorant, species listed in Annex 1 of 2009/147/CE Directive, is a regular breeding, wintering and migratory species in the northeastern part of the country (Veneto, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Emilia Romagna). Our observation is the first of the Pygmy Cormorant as a nesting species in Central Italy.