IS THE WOOD SANDPIPER TRINGA GLAREOLA (Aves Scolopacidae) REGULAR WINTERING IN SICILY?

The Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola is a relatively common wader species breeding in Scandinavia (except the South) and further East in Finland, the Baltic States and Russia, all the way to the Bering Strait (CRAMP & SIMMONS, 1983) and from 1969 irregular breeding in North America, Aleutine islands (WHITE et al., 1974). According to data reported in bibliography it is considered as an occasional wintering, a transaharan migrant common during migrations, but irregular in winter (BRICHETTI & FRACASSO, 2015). The species is subdivided into four biogeographic populations. A waterbird “population” can be defined as a distinct assemblage of individuals which does not experience significant emigration or immigration. This definition can only be fulfilled if the interchange of individuals between populations remains at a low level. The degree to which exchange of individuals occurs will determine gene flow and hence the justification for recognizing subspecies or merely populations. In Italy the North-West Europe/West Africa population occurs, with breeding range in Scandinavia, Baltic and wintering range in West Africa (source: www.wpe.wetlands.org - Waterbird Population Estimates online database – May 2018 - North-West Europe: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Ivory Coast, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo). Similarly to the methodology of many winter ornithological atlases (FORNASARI et al. 1992; FRAISSINET, 1995; CUCCO et al., 1996; STIVAL, 1996; TELLINI FLORENZANO et al., 1997; BIONDI et al., 1999) we collected 52 sightings of Wood Sandpipers from Sicily during 16 of the last 23 winters (1 December-15 February, 1996–2018). We obtained data through: a) bibliographic survey; b) regional ornithological mailing-list (Ebn Sicilia birdwatching); c) interview to ornithologists and birdwatchers; d) Ornitho; e) periodical visits in suitable sites. Only observations documented by photos or by observers with tested experience were considered. All our observations and photos have been uploaded on Ornitho platform.