News: Short & sweet

23.03.2026, +++ Pantano Cuba +++ Sicily / IT +++

A major clean-up campaign around our Pantano Cuba migratory bird sanctuary demonstrates the impact that dedicated local conservation efforts can achieve …

Hard-working helpers at the clean-up campaign © SPA IT

40 volunteers, six refuse collection lorries and a major effort to protect nature – a community initiative at Pantano Cuba clears rubbish from valuable dry slopes …

For the first time, a concerted joint effort has succeeded in completely clearing the dry slopes along the road bordering our Pantano Cuba conservation area to the east – slopes that were heavily littered with vast quantities of illegally dumped rubbish. This is an important contribution to the protection of the sensitive Mediterranean scrubland, which is adapted to dry habitats and characterised by Wild Thyme, Rosemary and Oregano!

This initiative was organised by the two Bird Guards of the Foundation Pro Biodiversity in close collaboration with the municipality of Pachino (SR), the environmental group ‘Pirati Della Marza’ and the association ‘Borgo Sostenibile’. A total of eight organisations took part in the initiative, including several local environmental groups, a scout group comprising numerous young people, and other dedicated conservationists. Despite the limited number of participants due to poor weather, around 40 volunteers were mobilised, sending a strong message in support of practical nature conservation in the local area.

The results of this coordinated effort are impressive: more than 200 bin bags, each with a capacity of 120 litres, were filled, amounting to a total volume of around 15-18 cubic metres of rubbish. In total, six lorryloads of rubbish were collected. In addition to ordinary household waste, large quantities of problematic waste were also collected, including old tyres, mattresses, furniture, scrap metal and various household appliances.

The municipality of Pachino provided logistical support for the campaign by supplying refuse collection vehicles, collection materials, and bins free of charge and by ensuring proper waste disposal. The Syracuse Provincial Police ensured the campaign ran smoothly by closing roads and implementing security measures.

The high level of motivation among all those involved, the visible results, and the great success have already encouraged our Bird Guards to plan a second rubbish collection campaign for April 2026. The aim is to finally clear all litter from the dry slopes along our land and the local road all the way to the coastal village of Granelli.

This initiative is a striking example of how community involvement can bring about tangible and rapid improvements to the countryside and biodiversity.

12.03.2026, +++ Pantano Longarini +++ Sicily / IT +++

Marbled Ducks: bred in Spain to reinforce the Marbled Duck population in Sicily.

Before release into the wild – ringing a Marbled Duck from a conservation breeding programme © W. Silvestrini

A challenging rescue mission that will significantly reinforce the small remaining population of Marbled Ducks in Sicily...

As part of the EU species conservation programme LIFE18, which supports and co-finances projects across Europe to strengthen populations and secure the existence of endangered species and their habitats, the Foundation Pro Biodiversity has made a significant contribution to strengthening the population of the Marbled Duck, which is native only to southern Europe and is now threatened with extinction.

This delicate duck species – scientifically known as Marmaronetta angustirostris – has sandy brown camouflage colouring, an unusually narrow beak and a strikingly calm demeanour. For years, it has been one of the most rapidly declining waterbird populations in the Mediterranean region. Its populations have been shrinking dramatically worldwide for decades because its habitats, intact waters with protective vegetation, are losing their ecological quality, being destroyed by human intervention and disappearing due to desiccation.

Extensive biotope restoration and development measures were implemented in close cooperation with regional nature conservation authorities in Sicily.

These focused on the shore and shallow-water zones of the Pantano Longarini wetland area owned by the Foundation, and on the near-natural redesign of parts of the former fish-farming canal system on the south side of the lagoon. At the suggestion of the Foundation Pro Biodiversity, this LIFE18 project is also co-financing the purchase of land near the lagoon and its partial conversion into new wetlands with small bodies of water – a key measure to expand the habitats of this endangered duck species by creating extensive new biotope structures.

A second key component of the LIFE18 species conservation project was the release of a total of 100 Marbled Ducks into our Pantani nature reserve between 2023 and 2026. These young ducks come from an EU-funded Marbled Duck breeding station in Spain. After a 14-day acclimatisation period in an outdoor aviary located in the middle of the Pantani reserve, the last 20 Marbled Ducks were released into the wild at the beginning of March 2026 as part of this LIFE18 funding project. All Marbled Ducks are ringed, and some also carry a mini GPS transmitter, which allows their flights and habitat use to be documented over a set period.

We can already see that this LIFE18 species conservation project has given a significant boost not only to the population of the Marbled Duck, but also to the Ferruginous duck, which is threatened throughout Europe, and the Western Purple Swamphen, which is critically endangered.

04.03.2026, Bielefeld / NRW +++ Borgolavezzaro (Piemont / IT)

Latest news on our species conservation project for building breeding birds in Italy

Borgolavezzaro, Italy - farmhouse with species protection tower © SPA

Life begins anew – awakening from hibernation

With the relatively early awakening from hibernation this year, many bird species that nest in buildings begin their new breeding season in March. Species such as Jackdaws, Italian Sparrows, House Sparrows, Black Redstarts and White Wagtails take advantage of the first milder days to secure their nesting sites and breeding grounds. They are among the bird species that breed twice a year in succession. This natural conservation strategy compensates for the relatively high mortality rate among young birds, particularly evident in urban habitats.

To establish our proven species protection tower strategy in Italy, the country of historic rural dovecotes, we worked with one of Italy's most renowned bird conservationists at his farm in the northern Italian municipality of Borgolavezzaro (province of Piedmont). We converted the old, unused dovecote into a species-protection tower for birds and insects that make their home in buildings. Designed as a prototype species-protection tower for Italy, the former dovecote has now developed into a species-protection building teeming with bird and insect life.

Today, the tower is home to an extensive breeding colony of Jackdaws, which has steadily grown over the years. Inside the tower and on its façade, Starlings, Italian and House Sparrows, as well as Common Swifts and House Martins, use many of the 440 breeding cavities and artificial nests. A special highlight: the species protection tower now offers a protected breeding and retreat area for a pair of Barn Owls and even a pair of Stock Doves. This is unique in Europe, as this species of wild dove usually breeds in tree hollows in forests!

This positive development has not gone unnoticed. Our first species protection tower project in Italy has attracted widespread interest in the surrounding area and is now inspiring private individuals and communities to convert their historic dovecotes into species protection towers, thereby putting cultural and historical buildings threatened with decay to good use and giving them a new lease of life.

This demonstrates that species conservation is not only necessary – it can also be contagious. Step by step, from a single tower, a network of valuable species conservation habitats is being created, which will strengthen the future of endangered building breeding birds in the region in a sustainable manner.

22.02.2026, +++Bielefeld / NRW +++ Nicosia / CY+++

Cyprus: End of the 2026 Winter Bird Protection Camp against illegal bird slaughter

Robin freed from a mist net at night © Committee Against Bird Slaughter

The winter thrush stopover on Cyprus has come to an end – and it has brought unpleasant surprises not only for song thrushes, but also for many bird poachers and hunters... 
Even halfway through this year's Winter Bird Protection Camp, our bird conservationists were still hard at work at night and early in the morning, searching for trapping sites, rescuing Song Thrushes, dismantling migratory bird-trapping devices, and reporting bird poachers and illegal bird hunters.
 
During nighttime operations, our bird protection activists rendered three additional trapping sites harmless by removing mist nets. During early morning operations, they caught two bird poachers red-handed as they were trapping birds with limesticks. Two more bird hunters were caught using illegal electronic bird call devices and reported to the authorities.  
 
One of the bird poachers caught with limesticks had built a permanent aviary in which 15 Song Thrushes and 3 Wood Pigeons were being kept illegally. All the birds had been caught in the wild and did not have officially registered rings. As a result of our criminal complaint, the head of the state gamekeeper organisation informed us that this bird poacher would be ‘rewarded’ with an extra penalty for illegally caging wild birds and that all birds would be released.



Final results of the Cyprus Winter Bird Protection Camp (6 weeks):

Illegal trapping and poaching

• 32 bird trapping sites located
• 22 bird trapping sites were active
• 101 limesticks dismantled and destroyed
• 13 illegal mist nets dismantled
• 3 electronic bird callers dismantled
• 4 charges brought against illegal bird poachers 

Illegal bird hunters

• 31 Hunting sites with illegal activities located
• 9 electronic bird callers dismantled
• 6 charges brought against illegal bird hunters 

As the massive migration of Song Thrushes over Cyprus ended in mid-February this winter, our bird conservationists were able to wrap up this year's winter migratory bird conservation camp on 17 February 2026 and begin their well-deserved journey home.
 
We can therefore expect the first Song Thrushes and Mistle Thrushes to arrive in their breeding grounds in Germany as early as the end of February 2026. Although our volunteer bird conservationists have said ‘farewell’ to Cyprus for the time being, we will be back in Cyprus in April at the latest to continue our work protecting migratory birds and, as always, we will be flying the flag for courageous and effective migratory bird conservation.