Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
Rocky coast and hills along the Calabrian coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the east side of the Messina Strait.
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.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
There is massive and intense illegal hunting, which is the main threat to the migrating raptors. Counting of migrating raptors/storks and anti-poaching activities have been carried out by LIPU every year since the mid-1980s.
National None
International None
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.
