Breeding bird species on Ventotene Island (Latium, Italy)

Ventotene Island is a well-known stopover site for bird species, especially during the spring migration. Despite the high number of scientific works on migratory birds, less information is available for the breeding species of the island. This study aims to provide a preliminary characterization of the breeding bird species on Ventotene Island by using standard bird atlas protocols. A high number of standardized field surveys (contact points) were carried out respectively during the first weeks of May, June, and July 2024 to sample bird species’ presence and July 2024 to sample bird species’ presence through visual and vocal identification. Frequency analyses. Frequency analyses and Shannon-Weiner indices were used to evaluate the diversity of the species during the sampling months. All the bird-contacted species were classified into one of the three breeding categories (“Probable Nesting, PN”, “Eventual Nesting, EN” and “Not-Evidenced Nesting, NN”) based on the following criteria on the following criteria: breeding vocalizations, suitable habitat, and suitable breeding period. Of the 19 contacted species, 8 were classified as PN, 5 as EN and the remaining 6 as NN. Further research and sampling strategies are needed to achieve a more detailed classification of the species, primarily for the “Confirmed Nidification” category.