The Italian Region Friuli Venezia Giulia is one of Italy’s smallest, at just 8,000 km2, but is the richest in terms of bird diversity. This is the result of its enormous diversity of landscapes and climate in a limited area, from its highest mountains at over 2700 metres down to sea-level at the Lagoon of Marano 100km to the south. Birds typical of mountains, and forests close to the tree-line share the Region with species more usually found in hot, arid climates around the Mediterranean. Some, such as the Greenfinch and Chaffinch are common, others, such as the Black Grouse, ever rarer. With their migrations, these birds, such as the Kingfisher and Griffon Vulture, connect the Region with other parts of Europe, or, in the case of the Bee-eater and the Turtle Dove, with other continents, migrating to Africa each winter. With a flurry of wings and a flash of colour, and then they are gone … and in the silence there remains the whispering of the wind – until next spring.

A FLURRY OF WINGS
A FLASH OF COLOUR, AND THEN…
IN THE SILENCE THERE REMAINS
THE WHISPERING OF THE WIND