Early View Articles

Biological invasions represent one of the main causes of the current biodiversity loss. Assessing distribution of invasive species is therefore pivotal to design effective management plans. In this work, we reviewed the current distribution of the Common Myna Acridotheres tristis in Italy. The Myna is recorded as an invasive species in many other countries worldwide. We used citizen-science and online platforms, to obtain a reliable map of the distribution of breeding populations, as very few data have been published on the distribution of this bird in Italy. We found 34 occurrences of the Common Myna in Italy, and breeding has been confirmed in two areas in Campania (Southern Italy), i.e. in the provinces of Salerno and Caserta. To prevent this species to become invasive in Italy, given the current limited distribution of breeding populations, a rapid removal of free-ranging individuals should be recommended in the short-term period.

The Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria is a critically endangered breeding species in Italy, given the severe decline suffered in the last decades and the reduced population size. South Tyrol, an inner Alpine region, is the northernmost Italian breeding area of this warbler, but we lacked recent information about the distribution and population size. In this study, based on surveys carried out in the year 2019 and other recent observations, we assessed a very restricted current distribution of this warbler, and we estimated a population size of 10-30 pairs. We also observed a singing male at unusually high elevation. A comparison of our results to historical data suggests a strong reduction in distribution compared to the 1980s/1990s. The changes in agricultural practices of the last decades might have contributed to determine such decline. Appropriate conservation measures are urgently needed to try to avoid the local extinction of the species.