Site description (2000 baseline)
Rocky coast and hills along the Calabrian coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the east side of the Messina Strait.
Key biodiversity
An important `bottleneck' site for soaring birds on passage, with 10,000-20,000 being counted in total each spring. The most common species include Pernis apivorus (3,138-14,960 per season), Circus aeruginosus and Falco vespertinus. Counts have been made in 1987, 1990, 1993 and 1994, and the maximum total count (all species combined) for one season is 18,160 in spring 1993.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Costa Viola (Italy). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/costa-viola-iba-italy on 22/11/2024.