The Return of the Black Francolin to the Madonie: A Species Rediscovered After More Than a Century

An adult male Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus) preying on an insect and seeking refreshment in a stream in the Madonie Mountains.

This species was declared extinct in Sicily in 1874. Since 2023, the International Foundation for Mediterranean Biodiversity has launched a reintroduction project in several areas of Sicily, including the Planeta Estate near Menfi and an area of the Madonie, where the species historically occurred.