My Sardinia

For almost half of the year, between the months of September and March, Sardinia is an ornithologist’s paradise as it is strategically located on the main migration route between Europe, Asia and Africa. You will be treated to the sight of thousands of flamingos visiting the island and nesting in the stagni (lagoons) of Oristano province and around Cagliari.

The flamingos aren’t alone though, other wetland birds like herons, crane, spoonbill, cormorants, terns, dozens of waders, ducks and many more join the party and provide all birdwatchers a spectacle to behold. The island is a pit stop for some 200 bird species (one-third of the total number of species in Europe) for their spring and autumn migrations.

Picture this: inland ducks and cranes giving way to an impressive crew of raptors (again, largely migratory) - Golden and Bonelli’s eagles patrol the high skies in spring and autumn, as do the black vulture, the lammergeier (bearded vulture) and the peregrine falcon.

In addition, there is a semi-permanent colony of the rare Eleonora Falcon, named after Queen Eleanora of Arborea (who declared the bird a protected species in 1400,) on the Isola di San Pietro.

That’s not all, the griffon vulture also maintains a colony in the west of the island, along the coast between Alghero and Bosa. If you’re an ornithologist or simply one who’s into birds and their magnificence, Sardinia is your Eden.