Title of the project

Woodcock: Scolopax overland

Description

Study of the migration of the wintering woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) population in Italy; Definition of the migration and distribution areas; Study of the activity in the pre-nuptial and post-nuptial period; Study of the vagrancy (inter-annual movements which are not migration – local environmental conditions); Evaluation of the fidelity to the area, comparison with studies of stable isotopes.

Ringing activity followed by observation and analysis of the migration of Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) through satellite monitoring. Overnight birds capture (network) and equipment with a solar-powered transmitters. Collect resources for financing the activities of satellite monitoring.

Birds were captured where regions cooperate to study, allowing us to do the capture. Woodcocks were marked with satellite transmitters in Veneto, Lombardia, Umbria, Marche, Campania. In 2014, we expect to do capture activities in Sicily, Lazio, Abruzzo.

Hunting association (FIDC, ENCI) were involved in financing and in capture operation (site identification), that means that for each capture session around 3, 4 hunters helped researchers in finding sites. Also Ambiti Territoriali di Caccia (ATC) which are the public territory administration unit for hunting financed the study, buying the radio transmitter.

Results

First data will be presented in IUGB 2013 Congress and complete study will be proposed for publication in scientific journal. Results and data will be delivered to government (Environment and Agricolture Ministry, and Italian regions).

Location

Country	Italy
Level	National

Starting date

2011

Species

Species Caracteristics	Huntable species, Migratory species
Species Type	Birds
Name(s) of main species	Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)

Conservation action(s)

Research and data collection (e.g. monitoring, bag data)

Partners

Leading partners

The study is the result of a cooperation between Amici di Scolopax (non-profit organization) http://www.scolopax.it/it/,

Other partners

Federazione Italiana della CacciaDistrict sections of FIDC in some case financed study (http://www.federcaccia.org/)ATC (local district nunting administration unit) (http://www.atcbologna.org/) did the sameAlso ENCI (National dogs lovers Italian association) (http://www.enci.it/) financed study.University of Padua (http://www.unipd.it/en/)VENETO AGRICOLTURA (http://www.venetoagricoltura.org/)Regione Veneto (http://www.consiglioveneto.it/crvportal/index.jsp)Voluntary organizations and institutions.

Estimation of the budget (total or annual)

Each radio transmitter costs around 5.000 euros for buying and renting information for one year. That means that if the transmitter continues activity costs raises. Other costs for FACE ITALIA were financial support at Padova University (18.000 euros/year) for PhD student, cooperation with MACH Institute for molecular analisys, for trips of researchers.

Estimation of Human Resources needed

Human resources are such below:2 University of Padova scientist (Professor Laura Guidolin and Dr. Nicola Tormen)1 Ornithologist of FIDC Ufficio Avifauna Migratoria (Dr. Michele Sorrenti)1 Ornithologist of Amici di Scolopax –FIDC (Alessandro Tedeschi)1 Ornithologist of Veneto Agricoltura (Veneto Region Administration Dr. Michele Bottazzo)1 Scientist of Scientific Committee of FIDC Ufficio Avifauna Migratoria (Past director ISPRA Prof. Mario Spagnesi)Around 5-6 official ringers with ISPRA licence that cooperate in field operation of woodcock capture and marking and ringing (not all birds equipped with PTT transmitter were ringed).Around 3 hunters for each woodcock captured helped field operation (finding night-feeding areas used by woodcock), that means around 60-70 hunters involved in projectAround 5-6 district-regional administrators or biologists that were present during field operation

Publication(s)

Satellite Radio Tracking of Eurasian Woodcocks wintering in Italy: first dataM. Sorrenti, N. Tormen, A. Tedeschi, M. Spagnesi, M. Bottazzo and L. GuidolinORAL PRESENTATION IUGB CONGRESS AUGUST 2013

Weblinks

http://www.federcaccia.org/progetti_ricerche.php?idn=18 http://www.scolopax.it/it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4:il-progetto&catid=12&Itemid=268