PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Sicilian breeding habitats of marbled teal, Marmaronetta angustirostris and ferruginous duck, Aythya nyroca, have been increasingly modified and even damaged over the past four decades. The main transformation started in the late 1950s, when a large-scale wetland drainage programme was initiated on the southeastern coast of Sicily. As a result, many marshes (even large ones) completely disappeared and were replaced by farmland, while others declined dramatically in size or were seriously modified. The reduction of water surface has strongly limited the potential of the area as a breeding site for waterbirds.
Another important threat to the bird species is hunting. Though the target area is an SPA, according to Italian law hunting can still be allowed under special conditions. Unfortunately, hunting activities, even under the above-mentioned restrictions, have proven to be one of the most important limiting factors for the target species conservation status in the area, especially due to disturbance of the birds during winter. Various other human recreation activities, such as fishing, camping and walking, also present a threat, due to the easy access from main roads to breeding places/niches for target species. These activities create noticeable disturbance to breeding pairs, which are very sensitive to external disturbance.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE Marbled duck PSSO project aims at restoring optimal breeding conditions for two of the most threatened and vulnerable duck species at EU level in one of the most important remaining wetlands in Sicily: Pantani della Sicilia sud orientale, Morghella, di Marzamemi, di Punta Pilieri e Vendicari. The site already hosts breeding populations of both species: virtually 100% of the Italian marbled duck, also called marbled teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) breeding population and up to 30% of the Italian ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) breeding population, but due to human activities and modifications to habitats prior to the Natura 2000 designation, populations are currently unable to expand. However, the site has a huge potential in this respect if properly re-shaped and managed.
Project specific objectives are to:
- Significantly increase the breeding populations of Marmaronetta angustirostris and Aythya nyroca, both Annex I species of the Birds Directive;
- Create the conditions for a sharp increase in Marmaronetta angustirostris wintering population and favour the species partly becoming resident in the area;
- Significantly increase of wintering population of Aythya nyroca;
- Enlarge the current breeding range of Marmaronetta angustirostris and create a stable population in Sicily;
- Increase the breeding and wintering populations of purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) and bittern (Botaurus stellaris), respectively, both Annex I species of the Birds Directive; and
- Increase the variety of ecological and breeding niches for all families of migrating birds already benefitting from the areas role as a migrating hotspot, in particular waders (5 species in Annex 1), terns and gulls (6 species in Annex 1), and herons (7 species in Annex 1).
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Increase in the project site of suitable breeding niches for mrbled duck, Marmaronetta angustirostris;
- Increase in the project site of suitable breeding niches for ferruginous duck Aythya nyroca;
- Increase of breeding Marmaronetta angustirostris pairs(2 pairs before project);
- Increase of breeding Aythya nyroca pairs (20 pairs before project);
- Increase in average number of wintering Marmaronetta angustirostris individuals (3 before project);
- Increase in average number of wintering Aythya nyroca individuals (30 before project);
- Increase in breeding purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) pairs (15 before project);
- Increase in average number of wintering bittern (Botaurus stellaris) individuals (1-2 before project);
- Increase in number of breeding pairs and stabilisation of the following species listed in Annex 1 of the Birds Directive: little tern (Sterna albifrons), avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) and Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus); and
- Increase in number of breeding pairs and stabilisation of the following species listed in Annex 1 of the Birds Directive: purple heron (Ardea purpurea) and gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon nilotica).
