The Torrazzuolo's ringing station website

Summary

Who we are
Current activities
Activities account
Contacts
Comments and suggestions

The ringers group working in the Torrazzuolo ringing station is composed of three members of the LIPU ( the Italian league for the protection of birds) department of Modena. Our names are: Luciano Conventi, Enrico Selmi, Alessandro Zoboli. The activity started in the spring of the year 1992 thanks to Luciano, the first to become a ringer and also the first to transmit us the interest in this important and special job.

The relevant area is a part of the A.R.E. "Il Torrazzuolo" in Nonantola at 11 kilometers from the town of Modena. The station consists of an array of transepts (composed of either 60 or 120 meters of mistnets supported by fixed stakery) located in three zones among some little ecosystems (marsh, wood, ...) and a little headquarter for the ringing operations.

Since 1992, besides regularly contributing to the annual report about the natural management of the A.R.E. "Il Torrazzuolo" edited by the the LIPU department of Modena, we have produced some studies for publications of local interest and in particular we have contributed to a scientific study concerning the area, published by the "Società dei Matematici e Naturalisti di Modena" in the year 1998. The volume of the ringing data base collectected by now is remarkable given that our area of interest is very small; we are also sure that when processing of the data (now in progress) is over, its outcome will be very important for the conservation of area and of certain birds species.

Current activities

The ringing station activity is focused on obtaining qualitative data about several biological aspects of the avifauna such as:

Use of the territory, with focus on interaction between avifauna and vegetation;
Situation of wintering and breeding birds;
Determination, modes and timesof migrations;
Structures of the bird populations;
Monitoring of the most common bird species.

The station also take part in some projects promoted by the I.N.F.S. (National Institute for the Wild Fauna):

Wintering passerines project;
Swallow project;
Costant effort site.

Robin captured the 9/10/2005.

Great Spotted Woodpecker captured the 08/05/2005

Green Woodpecker captured the 13/08/2005

The ringing sessions, according to the C.E.S. project, occur regularly during each year. In fact we make an effort to mantain a standard type of captures. This makes it possible to obtain important information on how the bird population in the area evolves and, where necessary and possible, to develop suitable conservation strategies. An exemple is the decline of the Yellow Wagtail's population since 1992, whose causes are still being reserched. On the other hand, the Cetti'sWarbler 's small population, almost absent before 1992, is now established and has recorded a positive trend during the last years. We are convinced that objiective data recording is an important instrument for the public administration in order to plan adequate conservative intervention.

A further topict of our studies is the role of the area as a step along a migratory route. From an examination of our recaptures it is reasonable to deduce that the Torrazzuolo area is along a migratory route starting from North-East Europe ( confirmed by several recaptures in Poland, Russia etc...)and leading to South-West Europe (confirmed by recaptures in Morocco and Canary islands ).

Activities account (Last update Dec '2003).

By December 2003, 10.954 individuals belonging to as many as 84 different species have been ringed.

Despite our efforts to captures only passerines, we have captured 15 species of non-passerines, among wich the presence of 12 Little Bittern stands out. Among the passerines the most ringed specie is the Robin with 1254 individuals marked, followed by the Tree Sparrow with 1235 individuals. Other species well represented are the Blackbird, the Blackcap, the ChiffChaff, the Penduline Tit and the Reed Bunting.

From a qualitative point of view, we underline the less frequent captures of species like the Bluethroat, the Marsh Warbler, the Whitethroat, the Melodious Warbler, the Spotted Flycatcher, the Bearded Tit and the Red-backed Shrike. Captures of such species are important because their biology is only little known and/or their population is quiet scarce.

	Click on the icon to see the complete list of the birds we have captured.
	Click on the icon to see the foreign captures table.
	Click on the icon to see the list of birds ringed elsewhere and captured at the SIT.
	Click on the icon to see the list of birds ringed at the SIT and captured elsewhere.