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Feather analysis is an ethical and effective method for assessing the exposure of wild birds to environmental contamination due to trace elements and organic pollutants. We used feather to monitor the exposure to three toxic and non-essential metals (Hg, Cd, and Pb) and rare earth elements (REEs) of Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) breeding in different coastal areas (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo, and Apulia) along the Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea. Feathers (n = 113) were collected from April to June. Feather concentrations evidenced a significant exposure to Hg (13.05 ± 1.71 mg kg -1 dw) and REEs (447.3 ± 52.8 ng g -1 dw) in the Kentish plover breeding in Veneto (n = 21) compared to the other coastal areas, with several individuals showing Hg concentrations above the adverse effect (5 mg kg -1 dw) and high-risk (9.14 mg kg -1 dw) thresholds reported for birds. Higher REE concentrations compared to Marche (n = 29), Abruzzo (n = 11) and Apulia (n = 13) were also reported for birds breeding in Emilia-Romagna (474.9 ± 41.9 ng g -1 dw; n = 29). The exposure to Cd and Pb was low in all the coastal areas, and only a few samples (n = 6 and n = 4 for Cd and Pb, respectively) exceeded the adverse effect thresholds (0.1 and 4 mg kg -1 for Cd and Pb, respectively). A significant sex-related difference was observed for REE-concentrations, with females showing higher concentration than males. These data highlight the need to monitor the exposure of the Kentish plover to Hg and REEs, especially in the northern basin of the Adriatic Sea, since these elements might negatively affect species' reproductive success and threaten its conservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In 2008-2014 wader and seabird nesting pairs were censused along the 220-km long coastline of the NE Adriatic Sea, in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions (NE Italy). Fourteen species were regularly breeding, with an annual mean of 20,610 pairs (±1553, 1 SD). The most abundant species was the Yellow-legged Gull (about 13,400 pairs on average, 65% of the whole population of the study area), followed by the Common Tern (1670 pairs, 8.1%) and Common Redshank (1525 pairs, 7.4%). The whole population of waders and seabirds increased with an annual rate, estimated with the TRIM software, of +0.8%, with a greater increase (+4.3%) if the Yellow-legged Gull was not included. Twelve species were stable or increasing; only the yellow-legged gull (-1%) and the common redshank (-2.4%) were decreasing. The populations of several species exceed 10% of those estimated for the whole of Italy; those of the Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Redshank and Sandwich Tern are among the most important in the whole Mediterranean. On average, about 8860 pairs (43%) nest in the Venice lagoon, 6,400 pairs (31%) in the Po Delta, 5100 pairs (25%) in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia lagoons. Among nesting habitats, semi-natural (such as the fish farms) and man-made sites (dredge islands) make each year about 70% of the nesting pairs. Saltmarsh islets host large numbers of Common Redshank and Sandwich Tern, while along the beach zone the only abundant species are the Yellow-legged Gull and the Eurasian Oystercatcher. The major conservation threats observed in the study area were the erosion of littoral islands, the uncontrolled occurrence of sunbathers along the beaches, the vegetation overgrowth at dredge islands, the increasing frequency of saltmarsh submersion by high tides, the strong fluctuations of water levels inside the fish farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus is a summer visitor to northern Europe, but occurs more patchily farther south, with Europe accounting for less than half of its global breeding range. It has an extremely large range with an European breeding population relatively small (<42,000 pairs), but was stable between 1970-1990. Spain hosts the largest breeding population of Southern Europe (Gutiérrez 1997; Valle & Scarton 1999). Over the Alps the species is threatened of extinction due to its small population size. The main breeding alpine population settled in Austria with a maximum of ten reproductive pairs since 2003. In Switzerland after two breeding events recorded in the Grisons in 1965 and 1998, three more broods occurred in 2012 and 2013. In Italy the main reproductive population, varying from 1 to 6 pairs, is located in Abruzzo's Apennines whereas from 1974 to 1996 several breeding events were recorded. Last breeding was confirmed up to 1994. In the Italian Alps breeding was suspected in few instances, but it was only confirmed in 1978 (one pair plus another possible one in South Tyrol) and 1994-95 in Lombardy region (one pair in Upper Valtellina). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since 1989, intertidal dredge islands have been constructed in the Venice Lagoon using sediments originating from regular dredging of lagoon channels and inlets. Between 2005 and 2007, 75 dredge islands were surveyed in each year and the number of breeding pairs of seabirds and shorebirds estimated. The results showed that, of the 13 species that nested at least once, eight represented more than 1% of their total Italian population, sometimes even higher than 10%. Our results indicated that the majority of birds prefer site dimensions of between 10 and 30ha, even if some species use small or very small (<1ha) sites particularly heavily. Most of the other environmental variables we measured concurred in explaining species’ occurrence and abundance. Redshank and Shelduck selected sites with high vegetation coverage, whereas sites with lower vegetation were preferred by Kentish Plover and Little Tern. More pairs than expected were observed at sites between 25 and 30ha. These sites have a considerable wealth of habitat types, becoming suitable for species with contrasting nesting habitat requirements. Density of breeding pairs ranged between one and four pairs/10ha; these values compare well with those observed in natural habitats existing in the Venice Lagoon, and support the opinion that dredge islands are a good alternative to natural sites. Along coastal sites where human pressure on beaches is particularly heavy, man-made habitats such as dredge islands may become a valuable alternative breeding site for those seabirds and waders of conservation concern. The results presented allow an assessment of the importance of dredge islands for breeding waterbirds over a short to medium period. They may also be used to estimate the expected richness and abundance of breeding birds that will use intertidal man-made sites, when these are built in a temperate coastal marsh. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]