The Ornithic Community of the “Taburno-Camposauro” Regional Park (Benevento – South Italy) according to taxonomic categories, phenology, and environmental types

Abstract

The avifauna of the Taburno-Camposauro Regional Park (RP in Province of Benevento - South Italy) was investigated from February 2019 to January 2022, as part of the project financed by Fondazione con il Sud “Sve(g)liamo la dormiente.” The bird community was monitored with the VCP (Variable Circular Plot) method, which allowed the identification of 23 observation points in all the representative environmental typologies of the Park. Observations were carried out once per phenological season over the 3-year study. At the end each point has been visited 12 times (264 total monitoring sessions). The VCP were grouped according to the prevailing environmental typology, identified by the coding provided by “Carta della Natura”: mesophilous forest, chestnut grove, beech grove, extensive crops, olive grove, dry grassland, coniferous forests. At the end of the study, 85 species were observed, 8 of which are included in Annex I of the Dir. 2009/147/EC (Pernis apivorus, Circaetus gallicus, Aquila chrysaetos, Milvus migrans, Falco peregrinus, Lanius collurio, Lullula arborea, Anthus campestris). The taxonomic distribution of the species shows that Passeriformes represent 70% of the community, followed by Accipitriformes (7%), Strigiformes, Piciformes, and Columbiformes (5%). As regards the phenological categories, 70% are residents, 19% are nesting migrants, 6% are migrants and 5% are wintering, Species richness has been
compared with the environmental typologies and appears to be at its maximum in extensive crops, at its minimum in coniferous reforestation and beech forests. Chaffinch and blackcap were the most frequent species in 4 environmental typologies.