Bird watching: species of the Circeo wetlands

The coastal lakes of Paola, Caprolace, Monaci, Fogliano and the surrounding swampy areas, marshes and canals represent a resting area for many species of birds during migration and the winter months, as well as an ideal breeding habitat. Therefore, among the some the birds (not all are included in the list) we find regular sighting of the following species:

Daytime birds of prey hunting in the Circeo wetlands:

* Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
* Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
* Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae)
* Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
* Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
* Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus)
* Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)
* Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
* Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
* Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
* Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)
* Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
* Red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus)
* Short-eared owl (Asio flammeus)
* Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
* Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

            Click on Photos to see the photografies of the Park

The following breeding species are found in the park:

* Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti)
* Eurasian reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
* Fan-tailed Warbler (Citicola juncidis)
* Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)
* Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
* Little Crake (Porzana parva)
* Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
* Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
* Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)

Mainly seen at winter months and during birds’ migration time:

* Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
* Black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
* Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
* Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
* Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
* Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
* Common Teal (Anas crecca)
* Gadwall (Anas strepera)
* Gavia artica (rarely)
* Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
* Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) - (the Circeo National Park represents one of the most important areas on mainland Italy for the wintering of this species)
* Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
* Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
* Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
* Grus grus (rarely)
* Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus)
* Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) (rarely)
* Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
* Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
* Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
* Red heron (Ardea purpurea)
* Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) (rarely)
* Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
* Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) (occasional presence)
* Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
* Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
* Widgeon (Anas Penelope)

            Click on Photos to see the photografies of the Park

Commonly seen here in the Circeo National Park:

* Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
* Barn owl (Tyto alba)
* Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)
* Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)

* Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
* Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)
* Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
* Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
* Caspian tern (Sterna caspia)
* Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis)
* Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)
* Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
* Coot (Fulica atra)
* Curled sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
* Curlew (Numenius arquata)
* Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
* Garganey (Anas querquedula)
* Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
* Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)
* Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
* Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
* Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
* Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus)
* Little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
* Little Gull (Larus minutus)
* Little Owl (Athene noctua)
* Little stint (Calidris minuta)
* Little Stint (Calidris temminckii) (rarely)
* Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)
* Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)
* Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)
* Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon)
* Nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos)
* Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe)
* Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
* Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
* Pied Flycatcher ( Ficedula hypoleuca)
* Pintail (Anas acuta)
* Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
* Redshank (Tringa totanus)
* Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
* Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)
* Reed Warbler (Acrocephalius scirpaceus)
* Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
* Sanderling (Calidris alba)
* Savi's Warbler (Locustella luscinioides)
* Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
* Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)
* Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)
* Sterna sandvicensis (Sterna sandvicensis)
* Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus)
* Subalpine Warblers (Sylvia cantillans)
* Tawny owl (Strix aluco )
* Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
* Whitethroats (Sylvia communis)
* Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
* Zitting (Scisticola juncidis)


Among the other wildlife typical of the Circeo National Park we find:

Reptiles:
Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca, Testudo marginata, Emys orbicularis, Podarcis muralis, Elaphe quatorlineata, Elaphe longissima, Coronella austriaca,Coluber viridifiavus, Natrix natrix, Natrix tessellata.

Fish:
A variety of fish life exists in the lake. The most common species are: Anguilla anguilla, Atherina hepsetus, A. bojeri, Mugil cephalus, Dicentrarchus labrax, Diplodus sargus, Sparus auratus, Solea vulgaris vulgaris, Aphanius fasciatus, Knipowitschia panizzae, (Padogobius panizzai), Rutilus rubilio. The following species of fresh water fish also thrive in the canals connecting the lagoon with the external area: Tinca tinca, Carassius carassius, Cyprinus carpio, Garmbusia holbrooki.

Ampibians:
Triturus carnifex, Rana italica, Bufo virdis, Hyla arborea.

            Click on Photos to see the photografies of the Park