In 2026, the Fondazione Internazionale Biodiversità del Mediterraneo, in collaboration with the Stazione Ornitologica of Palermo, carried out a study on the trend of spring migration as part of ISPRA’s “Piccole Isole Project.” In this particular case, given the length of the analysis period (almost thirty years), data processing will certainly provide some insights into climate change.
In 2026, the camp began on April 11th and ended on May 10th, thanks to the collaboration of ringers from the Gruppo Piemontese Studi Ornitologici “F.A. Bonelli”, who rotated in four weekly shifts, assisted by aspirants and collaborators from Sicily and other Italian regions. In total, over 25 people took part in the ringing operations and in the management of the ringing station, located on the Giuseppe Mancuso farm in Tramontana locality.
2026 was a year marked by a very large number of captures (over 7,400) relating to 51 species. The number of birds captured and ringed was consistently high throughout the month, almost always exceeding 100 individuals per day, with abundant captures of trans-Saharan migrants already on the opening days of the camp. The most captured species were the Garden Warbler Sylvia borin (1,231), the Whitethroat Sylvia communis (1,132), the Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix (784) and the Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca (749). We also note the numerous captures of the European Bee-eater Merops apiaster (226), the Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata (378), and the Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis (60). Conversely, compared to previous years, a decrease in the Great Warbler Hippolais icterina was noticed.
Species rarely caught in mistnets include Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus, European Roller Coracias garrulus, and the Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica. A preliminary analysis of the results obtained at the Ustica ringing camp from 1999 to 2026 is underway.
