Expected results and achievements as of February 7, 2023.

  • Release of 30 to 50 Lanner falcons in five breeding seasons, either young individuals born at the recovery centre of Lake Vico or purchased from specialised breeding centres (action C2).

Achievements: release of 7 Lanner falcons, one born at the recovery centre of Lake Vico and the others in breeding centres. Flight and hunting training period for other 3 Lanners which are still in the hacking box, so as to increase their autonomy and limit mortality risk immediately after release.

  • Installation of at least 50 GPS on animals that will be released with the technique of hacking, and the installation of 4 hacking boxes in the Lazio region (actions A1, C2 and D1).

Achievements: installation of GPS on the 7 animals which have been released, and installation of 2 hacking boxes in Lazio.

  • Monitoring of Lanner falcon populations in Lazio and Malta, including at 7 historic nests in Lazio, and the training of 15 people to supervise monitoring (actions A2, A3 and D1).

Achievements: elaboration of a monitoring protocol for Lanner breeding pairs. Monitoring in Lazio, Tuscany and Malta. Training of 52 technicians.

  • Adjustment of existing structures and construction of new aviaries to realise a captive breeding centre at the Vico Reserve (actions A1 and C1).

Achievements: improvement of existing aviaries, construction of 4 new aviaries for breeding pairs (2 with LIFE funding and 2 with non-LIFE funding from the Lake Vico rescue centre). Conversion to nursery of a room at the rescue centre. In 2023, 2 new aviaries will be built with LIFE funding.

  • Restoration of 144 ha of natural and semi-natural grasslands, such as hunting areas for young Lanner falcons (actions A1 and C4).

Achievements: reduction of shrubby cover in the protected areas of Monte Casoli in Bomarzo, Lake Vico and Valle del Treja (26.5 ha total). Work in Marturanum Regional Park and Barbarano began in early 2023.

  • Restoration of 5 troughs for the pasture of cattle and horses for the maintenance of the prairies by grazing (action C4).

Action not carried out yet.

  • Securing approximately 200 poles along 20 km of medium/low voltage power lines within a radius of 2 km from the hacking boxes (action A1 and C3).

Achievements: 195 poles in the Natural Reserve of Lake Vico and the Regional Park of Marturanum have been secured.

  • Reduction of vegetation on 8 rocky walls as possible future reproductive areas (action C5).

Action not carried out yet.

  • Creation of the national genetic database at IZS of Lazio and Toscana and development of new genetic markers, and update of International Gene Bank with these markers (actions A5 and C6).

Achievements: development of new genetic markers for the characterization of Falco biarmicus feldeggii (both at the individual and population level), and differentiation from other subspecies of F. biarmicus. Analysis of 80 samples. Preliminary statistical data analysis. Update of the International Gene Bank.

  • Creation of a recovery centre network for the study of Lanner and other falcons, involving 15 centres of recovery in central and southern Italy and in Malta (actions A1 and C7).

Achievements: creation of a network of 27 wildlife rescue centres in northern, central and southern Italy and Malta. Creation of a database by IZSLT where rescue centres can input information on recoveries of Lanners and similar species.

  • Preparation of an identification manual for the Lanner falcon, guidelines, and evaluation forms for recovery centres.

Action not carried out yet.

  • Preparation and approval of the update to the National Action Plan for the Lanner falcon (action A4).

Action postponed.

  • Replication of hacking and other techniques in the Montagne della Duchessa Reserve, Greece and in Malta (action E3).

Action postponed.

  • 31 public events on the project, involving around 1790 people, and a national ornithological conference (action E4).

Achievements: presentation of the project at 9 events, reaching approximately 490 people.