Life Lanner at the Italian Ornithological Congress

The 21st Italian Ornithology Conference took place in Varese from 5 to 9 September, and has been organized by the University of Insubria, the Insubria Ornithological Group and the Italian Center for Ornithological Studies. Here Italian and foreign ornithologists exhibited their works on various topics, including bird migration, climate change, agriculture, urbanization and conservation of endangered species.

LIFE LANNER participated in the Conference by presenting two posters: the first illustrated the LIFE project and the results achieved so far (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373806774_The_LIFE_LANNER_Project_LIFE18_NATIT000720_Urgent_measures_for_the_conservation_of_the_lanner_falcon_Falco_biarmicus_feldeggii) and a second concerning the first results of the first national-scale monitoring of the Lanario (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373824013_A_new_snapshot_of_the_Italian_breeding_population_of_Lanner_falcon_Falco_biarmicus_feldeggi) , promoted by the Lazio Region – Environment Directorate, as part of Action A4.

This monitoring involved all the regions with historical presence of lanner, and confirmed the drastic decrease of the species as a breeder throughout Italy, including its Sicilian stronghold, and the almost disappearance from central Italy.

At the end of the conference, a resolution was simultaneously approved by the participants aimed at stimulating the competent bodies to implement greater protection of breeding sites. As part of the collaboration with the relevant national bodies (MASE, ISPRA) the LIFE LANNER will be available to share its data and experiences gained for the continuation of this monitoring. In this context, with the relevant national bodies and with the ornithological associations involved, LIFE LANNER is available to activate collaborations so that the causes of the Lanner’s decline are identified and the necessary conservation actions indicated by the experts are implemented on a local and national scale.