The census of red kite nests in Basilicata, which began in spring 2021, continued until late summer and provided positive information on the conservation status of the species.
A total of 34 nests and 42 territories were identified in a very limited area of the region, equal to 2.8% of the entire surface. The average regional density of the species was 0.27 pairs/km2, with the highest presence of pairs detected in the central-eastern sector (0.36 pairs/km2). In the west, however, the density of the species is significant (0.27 pairs/km2) and much higher than that reported in previous studies.
On the basis of these values it is reasonable to assume that the number of pairs present in Basilicata is equal if not higher than the 210-230 pairs estimated in 2014.
The ornithologists who conducted the survey (DREAM Italia-Studio Pteryx and Giuseppe Giglio and Stefania Pellegrino) will continue their field work in the coming seasons in order to confirm the nests and territories identified so far. They will also extend the study area to other areas in Basilicata that, based on the information gathered so far on the environmental preferences displayed by the species, could host other pairs.
