Crown

top part of a

bird's head

Breast

front part of

the thorax

Wing

appendage of aerial

locomotion

Eye

Beak

Leg

Foot

Bird

a warm-blood animal with two wings, two feet, a horny

beak and a body covered with feathers.

Tail feathers

feathers forming the

tail of a bird

Belly

front of the

abdomen

Back

back part of a

bird's thorax

Neck

Auricular region

part of a bird's head

related to the ear

The following table is a summary of the general population trends for birds common recognized in Italy by the project MITO2000 from 2000 to 2010.

How many birds we saw? A LOT

SOME

FEW

Blackbird Magpie

Sparrow

Jackdaw

Collared dove Gull

Pigeon

the beak is very long

and has a color

between red and

orange

the eyes are very small and brownish: there is a

red ring around them

the legs are short enough and orange, while the feet

are webbed suitable for swimming and claws are very

sharp and a very dark the tail is very short

and is black and

white spots

The Yellow-legged Gull is a large gull of Europe, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species. They range in length from 52 to 68 cm (20 to 27 in) in total length, from 120 to 155 cm (47 to 61 in) in wingspan and from 550 to 1,600 g (1.2 to 3.5 lb) in weight.

English name: Yellow-legged Gull Italian name: Gabbiano reale

Habitat: The breeding range is centred around the Mediterranean Sea. Many birds remain in the same area all year round but others migrate to spend the winter in mild areas of western Europe or head south as far as Senegal, the Gambia and the Red Sea. Food: They are omnivores like most gulls, and they scavange on rubbish tips and elsewhere, as well as they seek suitable prey in fields or on the coast, or they rob smaller gulls and other seabirds.

Behavoir: The yellow-legged gulls usually breed in colonies. Eggs, usually three, are laid from mid March to early May and are defended vigorously by this large gull. The nest is a sparse mound of vegetation built on the ground or on cliff ledges.

Description : The blackbird has medium size, strong beak and long legs. The male has a uniformly black plumage and bright yellow beak. The female is brown, with blackish chin and throat, grayish brown beak. In both sexes the legs are dark brown. Length 25-27 cm, weight 75-115g.

English name: Blackbird Italian name: Merlo

Food: It is omnivorous: it likes fruit, particularly apples, pears, strawberries, cherries and figs and it can be harmful to the orchards. To complete its diet, it also eats berries, seeds, earthworms, insects, beetles, flies, spiders,….. Behaviour: Suspicious, it immediately scares and gets away with a quick flight. It comes to rest on the ground where it moves jumping and holding the tail upright and drooping wings. Habitat: It lives in forests with undergrowth, parks, gardens, hedges, fruit orchards and vineyards, as well as in the cultivated areas in general; couples lead isolated lives because the bird is really gregarious only in migration, and only in such situations you can observe it in large groups.

Wings are grey

dark blue with

shades of

emerald in

adults

Legs are

reddish

Neck is

dull

green

and pulm

grey.

Eyes are

orange and can

be surrounded

by grey-white

rings

tail is dove

grey and

edged with

white

English name: Pigeon Italian name: Piccione

The bird is 30-35 cm long with a wingspan of

62-68 cm. It is durable and fast in

flight. The life of a common

pigeon varies from 3 to 5 years in the wild, but

can reach up to 15 years for the domesticated

breeds.

Behavoir: It is a kind of a non-migratory species, capable of directing nicely to regain its dovecote and covers a large radius of action: this allowed to be domesticated (this quality is enhanced by a strong selection by breeders). Longevity: The life of a common pigeon ranges from 3 to 5 years in the wild. Food: the food they eat, often provided by the citizen (bread, pasta, crumbs, etc..), is not the correct source of food for his diet which should instead be made from plants, such as cereals, legumes, sprouts, seeds as well as insects, snails, mollusks.

Habitat: The Pigeon is a kind of Columbide fairly widespread, popular both in Italy and abroad, especially in the streets of big cities.

Description: It is a medium sized dove, 30–33 cm long from tip of beak to tip of tail, with a wingspan of 47–55 cm, and a weight of 125–240 g. It is grey-buff to pinkish-grey overall, a little darker above than below, with a blue-grey under wing patch. The tail feathers are grey-buff above, and dark grey tipped white below; the outer tail feathers also tipped whitish above. It has a black half-collar.

English name: Collared Dove Italian name: Tortora dal collare

Eyes are red and black

The wings are light grey and dark grey

The legs are short, dark

grey with two sharp claws

The chest is light grey

The head is small

and grey light

Its tail is short and dark grey

with pens that at the

time of landing open to brake the

speed

Longevity : Collared Doves can live up to 15 years. Food: The seeds are its basic diet, but they also feed on fruits, herbs, insects and other small invertebrates. Behaviour: They typically breed close to human habitation wherever food resources are abundant and there are trees for nesting. The female lays two white eggs in a stick nest, which she incubates during the night and which the male incubates during the day. The Collared Dove is not wary and often feeds very close to human habitation. It is a gregarious species and sizable winter flocks will form where there are food supplies. They are almost always seen in pairs and, like many birds, remain loyal to their mates. Habitat: Native to South Asia, the Collared Dove can be encountered in most of Eurasia and North Africa, and some specimens have been seen in North America. Generally living in a city. Is it in danger? It Is not in danger, but in recent years their number has greatly diminished due to pollution.

Eyes are black

or brown

The beak is black

and its shape is

conical, pointed

Legs are

light

brown

Wings are

light brown

and black

The tail is grey

and black

Head is brown

and orange

The chest is

black, white and

grey

English name: Sparrow Italian name: Passero

The house sparrow is probably the most common bird in Europe, both in the cities and in the countryside. It is a very social species, it may be in groups of about ten specimens and often approaches humans looking for food. The European sparrows to get rid of parasites have a "bath" of earth. This bird does not migrate, and in residential areas, it can be approached by a lot of people. It lives in flocks, also great and friendly, even during the period of hatching.

Description : The plumage is black and white. The black feathers of the magpie are polished and have blue and green reflections. With legs unable to keep still when eating food. The magpie is not a flier resistant. The length of the queue can also indicate social rank. The large and powerful beak allows the magpie eating big pieces of food. The magpie is a highly developed and intelligent bird. Food: The Magpie is omnivorous like all corvids. It feeds on insects, small mammals, mice, small birds and their eggs, cereals, fruit, berries and carrion and does not mind the street cleaners. Its massive presence also impacts on species such as, partridges, pheasants, skylarks and others of which they prey eggs and newborns.

English name: Magpie Italian name: Gazza

Behavior: The Magpies are very hyperactive birds, always on the move and with an innate ability to annoy the other birds with which they share the habitat. The young magpies live in their early years in group, flying all together. The more mature couples, however, live alone, building their nest and controlling the territory.

In Italian folklore, magpies' penchant for picking up shiny items is thought to be particularly directed towards precious ones.

Habitat:

Very adaptable species, the magpie nests in cultivated fields, woods, parks, degraded area even without vegetation, are sufficient even patches of vegetation or isolated trees, where it builts domed nests. The magpie is the only Corvide in Europe to build the nest with a real roof builds.

DESCRIPTION: the body of the Jackdaw is entirely covered by a black plumage, except for the area of the cheeks and the neck that are greyish-silver. HABITAT: It is spread throughout Europe, Iran, India, Siberia and north-western Africa; the jackdaw inhabits grasslands, steppes and forests, but also the cliffs and urban centers. FOOD: Its diet contains insects, small invertebrates, as well as seeds, fish and eggs of other birds. LONGEVITY: it lives on average 40 years and in some cases to almost 80. BEHAVIOUR: It is a very territorial animal so it’s willing to cohabit with other species with which, however, it is not to be confused.

English name: Jackdaw Italian name: Taccola

Robin Starling

Black Redstart Black-Headed Gull

White Wagtail

Chaffinch

DESCRIPTION: The Black Headed Gull adults are roughly 13-17 inches (33-44cm) in length with a 35-41 inch (89-105 cm) wingspan. The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, despite the name), the body and wings are pale grey, with black tips on the primary wing feathers. The beak is red with a black tip, and the legs are also red. The “black” hood is lost in winter, leaving just a dark vertical streak or spot behind the eye. HABITAT: It is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe.

English name: Black-Headed gull Italian name: Gabbiano comune

Most of the population is migratory, preferring to winter further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe do not migrate. FOOD: They prefer to eat insects, small fish, small berries and earthworms. They have been known to follow fishing boats, plunge-diving for smaller fish.

DESCRIPTION: It is small in appearance, plump and without neck. It has the chest and forehead colored orange. The rest of the plumage is olive brown color. An old folk tale seeks to explain the Robin's distinctive breast. The legend says that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the Robin, then simply brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the Robin's breast, and thereafter all Robins got the mark of Christ's blood upon them. LONGEVITY: 3-4 years FOOD: insects, beetles, snails, worms and spiders HABITAT: Coniferous forests but it is often present in gardens, hedges, woods with undergrowth. MIGRATORY BIRD? Robin is a migratory bird. Here it is present only in winter.

English name: Robin Italian name: Pettirosso

English name: Starling Italian name: Storno DESCRIPTION: Starling is medium-sized and compact in forms, it has iridescent black feathers and little speckled pale undertail abdomen and back. The winter dress is rather heavily spotted with white, the beak is sharp and its yellowish and reddish legs robust, the tail short and square, pointed wings of triangular form. Sexes are similar. BEHAVIOUR: Well adapted Starlings live in a large amount of different habitats, with a preference for deciduous forests and inhabited areas, especially in the period of the nests.

FOOD: They feed on soil insects and their larvae, worms, snails, snails, kitchen waste, always exploring the ground with their beak. Even fruits, seeds and berries within their daily diet. They feed on trees, often chasing insects in rapid flight.

BREEDING: They nest in pairs or colonies. The nest of twigs, leaves and various plant is placed in the hollow of a tree or a house or a rock. The couple incubates for 12-13 days to 4-9 eggs (usually 5-7). Then feeds the young for 3 weeks, but also left the nest, the young follow their parents and demand food. LONGEVITY : 16-17 years.

Description: The adult male has black and white head. The forehead, cheeks, ear-coverts and head sides are white. Chin and throat are black, as the rear crown, the nape and the hind neck. Habitat: It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa. They often live near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and man-made structures. Food: It feeds on wide range of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, small snails, crustaceans and worms. It also takes household scraps. It forages by walking on the ground, or jumping into the air to hawk flying insects, or by wading in shallow water and mud. Depending on the availability of food may behave both resident and migratory.

English name: White Wagtail Italian name: Ballerina Bianca

English name: Black Redstart Italian name: Codirosso spazzacamino

DESCRIPTION: The Black Redstart is 13–14.5 cm in length and 12–20 g in weight. The adult is dark grey to black on the upperparts and with a black breast; the lower rump and tail are orange-red, with the two central tail feathers dark red-brown. FOOD: The black redstart feeds in the fields and villages. Its diet consists mainly of invertebrates. During fall and winter also consumes berries and small fruits. In coastal areas, where he attended the beaches, it also feeds on small crustaceans.

HABITAT: In spring and summer, the black redstart attends prevalently mountainous areas. In Italy, touches altitudes up to 2600 meters in the Alps, but Asian population that inhabits the Himalayan area goes even up to 5000 meters. In the past, the species have inhabited only mountainous areas, while now, during the winter season, he prefers to go down to the plains and in the towns, the environment in which it is now perfectly adapted, however, preferring the less urbanized as small towns, suburban centers and industrial areas.

But it is also present in large cities where, in most cases, settles its nest on the tallest buildings in town centers. BEHAVIOUR: The black redstart is much time on the ground or perched on rocks or buildings. At night it rests in holes of the rocks or buildings. Although if it is distrustful of man, it can accept the food that you offer it.

Description: The common chaffinch has large double white bars on its wings, white edged tail and greenish rump easily. The male is unmistakable, with his reddish underparts and a blue-grey head. The female is drabber and greener. Habitat: This bird is widespread and very familiar throughout Europe. It uses a range of habitats, but open woodland is favoured, although it is

English name: Chaffinch Italian name: Fringuello

common in gardens and on farmland. The finch builds a nest cupped, weaving moss, feathers, grass, and then covering it with lichens, the bird places its nest on the forks of branches at medium heights. Food: The chaffinch feeds predominantly of seeds or other foods of plant origin, especially during the cold season; in reproductive period, instead, a good percentage of the diet consists of invertebrates.

Mallard

Peacock

Goose

Swan

Beak: robust and flat, yellow with black tip

mm 51-61 in the male, orange-yellow with

green spot mm 47-56 in females.

Wing: gray brown with purplish blue wing mirror bordered by a black and a white. In the female and young of the wing is the same color as the body.

Iris brown

Legs: bright orange in the

male, the female yellow grey

Tail: mm 80-91 grey with white hemming in the

male presenting as special two helm stations curled (in complete wedding

dress). In the female is brown.

Head rather dark metallic green in males, in females

is light brown and speckled among young people is a

little darker.

English name: Mallard Italian name: Germano reale

Habitat The mallard duck is certainly the most widespread and common duck. Swamps, even the smallest, coastlines, ponds, quiet banks of watercourses can accommodate this species, which easily adapts to any environment. In Italy it is to be found in every region and in some areas (mainly in the north) is stable for years and resident throughout the year. Food The mallard is omnivorous and very flexible in its foods choice. Its diet varies greatly depending on the environment in which it resides. Its easy adaptation allows him to feed in different ways. 90% of the diet is, however, in plant materials for the remaining 10% of insects, molluscs, crustaceans, anellidi, amphibians and, although rarely, small fish. In general, during the spring come in the diet of mallard increasingly higher portions of insects, thus a source of animal protein for the remainder of the year where the seeds are prevalent.

Description: Males are larger (from 140 to 160 cm long) than females and have a larger knob on their bill. The Mute Swan is one of the heaviest flying birds. Young birds, called cygnets, are not the bright white of mature adults, and their bill is dull greyish-black, not orange, for the first year. The down may range from pure white to grey to buff, with grey/buff the most common.

Food: The swans are primarily herbivorous birds: they feed mostly on aquatic plants and wetland ripping from the bottom with its beak. While most of the water birds dive underwater in search of food, the swan can safely explore the underlying vegetation up to a meter deep, with its long neck. Sometimes "graze" on land and along the banks feeding on grasses, roots and seeds. Though their diet is strictly vegetarian, along with the herbs they swallow a good number of small aquatic animals associated with them (crustaceans, insect larvae and snails).

English name: Mute Swan Italian name: Cigno Reale

Behaviour: Mute Swans are usually strongly territorial with just a single pair on smaller lakes; they nest on large mounds that they build with waterside vegetation in shallow water on islands in the middle or at the very edge of a lake. They are monogamous and often use the same nest each year, restoring or rebuilding it as needed. Male and female swans share the care of the nest, and once the cygnets are fledged it is not uncommon to see a whole families looking for food. Although this bird can be tame, especially to those who feed it daily, it is aggressive in defence of its nest, and its impressive size make it a formidable adversary.

Habitat: Native to northern and central Eurasia, the Mute Swan was introduced into North America to grace the ponds of parks and estates. Escaped individuals have established breeding populations in several areas, where their aggressive behavior threatens native waterfowl.

Description: Its feathers are quite mixed, in fact the prevailing colors are green, blue, white and red. The peacock tail ("train") is not the tail quill feathers but the highly elongated upper tail covert feathers. The "eyes" are best seen when the peacock fans its tail. Their head is characterized by a crown

English name: Peacock Italian name: Pavone

of pens. Unlike the male, the female lacks the long tail coverts and its tail is composed of eighteen feathers. In the young male the train is well developed after three years. In addition, females have brown spots on the back, on the scapulars and coverts.

Longevity: A peacock lives from eight to ten years Food: It feeds especially of fruits, seeds, insects and small vertebrates. Behaviour: During the mating season, males tend to show off its tail vertically to show the females their beauty and virility. The peacock becomes attached to the place in which the nest is built so that it never leaves it and tends to protect it violently, posing a major threat to people who approach it. The female lays about ten eggs that are incubated for about twenty-seven days. Habitat: It lives mostly in India and Indo-China but has spread all over the world.

Description: The domestic geese are descendants of the wild geese: they were kept as poultry for their meat, eggs, and down feathers since ancient times. Changes to the plumage are variable; many have been selected to lose dark brown tones of the wild bird. The result is an animal marked, or completely covered in white feathers. the goose has white plumage and orange beak. They have a long neck and webbed feet orange bench. Food: the goose is omnivorous, eats seeds and worms that are on the ground but also fish. Habitat: The goose lives in damp places and also where there is the earth and the grass but some can be found in the fields

English name: Goose Italian name: Oca domestica

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