Check list of birds of Piagge

HABITAT

Piagge is a path along the right side of the river Arno between the “Bocchette” bridge and  the “Vittoria” bridge, and covers an area of about 14 hectares.

The “Piagge” Path can be divided in two main areas: one closer to water is characterised by Poplars (Populus spp) and Beds of reeds (Phragmitesaustralis), the other along the footways with Stone pines (Pinus pinea), Holm-oaks (Quercusilex), Lime trees (Tiliasp), Planes (Platanus hybrida), and Laurel trees (Laurus nobilis), Vibornum Tinus, Boxes (Buxus sempervirens), Ivy (Hedera Helix) and many other.

AVIFAUNA

The “ Piagge” path is the most rich in birdlife of the city of Pisa.

The ornithologist Henry Giglioli in 1864 observed there the little Owl, the Jay, the Serin, the Greenfinch, the Goldfinch, and an abundant population of the Pendulin Tit.

A project realized by LIPU (the national Italian association for the protection of birds) required by the city administration, established the presence of 64 species of nesting birds in the entire territory of the city and 41 of them nest in the Piagge.

The most abundant species during Spring are the Blackbird, the Blackcap,  the Serin, and the Goldfinch.

There are also a lot of little birds of the family of tit : the yellow-blue Tit, the black Tit that loves coniferous trees, and the great Tit with a black strip on the breast and then also the long-tailed Tit  and the Tree Creper that goes up over trunks making spirals.

The Nightingale during Spring let us hear his melodious voice, in the meantime the grey Flycatcher is looking for flies, going from a branch to another.

Among the foliage of a Holm-oak the microscopic Firecrest interweaves his nest, in the meanwhile in the hollow of a trunk the Wryneck is putting down speedily his eggs on the bare wood.

On the tops of the trees we can see a recent  new guest of the park: the Wood Pigeon.

In the surrounding  areas with fields under crop or not we can find Stonechats (mainly in the “Tondo”area ) the Sardinian Warbler, the little Shrike and many other.

In the river we have the nice Water Hen, the coloured Kingfisher, the river Nightingale always hidden in the dephts of the vegetations and the Pendulin Tit, who builts big nest that hang on the branches of Willow trees.

During winter big groups (with 60-70 bird for group) of  black Cormorants and Herons fly over the river.

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Realizzazione Servizio Rete Civica del Comune di Pisa