Overview
Not far from the end of Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and close to the sea lie’s one of Lazio’s best birding area’s. Originally dug as hunting pools in the middle of a now dwindling area of marshland, the pools eventually fell under the protection of the LIPU [1]
The 5 ponds vary in size and depth, so that each type of bird tends to favour a different pool. Long lines of Eucalyptus protect the pools on three sides and watching hundreds of birds flitting between these and the reed beds is a very rewarding sight.
The pools and surrounding farmland can be very productive at any time of the year, though the paths around the far pools tend to get very overgrown as summer goes on. The farmland is crisscrossed with roads and canals which makes birding from the car the best bet, and a scope is useful to cover the large fields well.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Regular Winter visitors Slavonian Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Little Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, Great Bittern, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Ferruginous Duck, Short-toed Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Audouin's Gull, Penduline Tit, Moustached Warbler.
Regular Summer visitors Little Bittern, Garganey, Black-winged Stilt, Black-tailed Godwit, White-winged Tern, European Bee-eater, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Cirl Bunting, Cetti's Warbler.
Other birds recorded there Purple Heron, Eurasian Spoonbill, Red Kite, Black Kite, Montagu's Harrier, Red-footed Falcon, Common Crane, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black Tern, Barn Owl, Marsh Sandpiper, Calandra Lark, Crested Lark, Great Reed Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, European Pied Flycatcher, Bluethroat, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Woodchat Shrike
Other Wildlife
There are large numbers of harmless Grass snakes around the pools, but all you tend to see is a disappearing tail.
Site Information
History and Use
Recently the owners of the land, who want to use the pools for fish farming have enclosed the area. Birdwatchers are still allowed though the signs and fence around the pools is a bit off-putting.
Other Areas of Interest
The WWF site of Macchiagrande [2] is close and worth a visit.
Access and Facilities
Directions[3]
Contact Details
Maccarese S.P.A [4] for permission to enter, though not many people do.
External Links
LIPU site for Maccarese [5]
Webcam of nearby beach with weather report [6]
Italian site for LIPU [7]
Stronzo 06:34, 16 May 2007 (UTC)
