There are many species which cross the Messina Strait in Spring. The most common is definitely the Honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) with about 10.000 individuals sighted every year. Also numerous are the sightings of Black kite (Milvus migrans), Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) and Red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus).

There are also a certain number of species which don't pass frequently or pass in small numbers, some of which very rare and particularly beautiful. For example the Egyptian volture (Neophron percnopterus), the Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and the Lesser Spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina).

There are other species other than the birds of prey as the White stork (Ciconia ciconia), the Black stork (Ciconia nigra) and the Bee-eater (Merops apiaster).

The complete list of the Strait species and the numerical data referring to the passage of the birds in the past ten years are available in Word 97 format. To download them you can go to the page "GUFO's pen"

Gruppo Universitario Faunistico Ornitologico
(Universitary Group for Wildlife and Ornithology)
Viterbo