0On World Bird Migration Day, we celebrate Abruzzo’s stunning migratory birds, including the Golden Oriole, Hoopoe, and the vibrant Bee-eaters. These are just 3 of the beautiful species that travel great distances, gracing our region with their colourful presence and song before continuing their borderless journey southward.HoopoeBee-EaterEurasian Golden Oriole The birding app for Abruzzo that members from our community have found most useful in the region is the free Merlin birding app. It allows bird enthusiasts to easily track sightings and share their experiences by simply capturing birdsong to identify each individual.Protecting these birds from local hunters as they migrate is crucial, as they play an essential role in maintaining the delicate balance of our ecosystems, enriching our natural heritage whilst bringing such pleasure!Many of our members have expressed awe at the beauty and grace of these migratory birds through heartwarming testimonials, prepared to stand in the way of hunters to protect themI adore watching the migrating birds; the bee eater gatherings let me know the summer is drawing to a close, but it is the sound of the geese in flight, usually around December, that I find the most emotive. Its a beautiful sound that you generally hear long before you see them. We watched a snow bunting once, up on Mammarosa, very pretty.”JacquiI was raised in the Dutch countryside in a time when birds and insects were still abundant. My mother was a bird lover so I was made aware of all the different species that were around (not only of birds but of other animals and plants as well) from my early childhood.During the first twenty years of my life I’ve seen the Dutch landscape change. With the change it became less suitable for many species (a fact the farmers, responsible for most of mentioned change, are still not willing to admit). Now that I have my little piece of land in Abruzzo, I’m amazed by the region’s biodiversity and abundance. I can count more butterflies in an hour in my meadow than I would be capable of finding in the Netherlands in a whole year. And so many different birds too. Now, I’ve never been able to recognise birds as easily as my mother did. Not by sight, nor by their song. But thanks to the amazing and highly recommended Merlin Bird ID app on my phone, I’ve been able to identify almost seventy different birds on and around my plot this last year!Many are migratory species. There are the obvious swifts and swallows, and the beautiful bee-eaters. Although you can see some red kites year-round, most of them are migratory. In late summer they start returning and when the group near my house is complete again they count up to almost fifty birds. On days when you would probably prefer to stay inside by the hearth, I actually go out a lot. Because they are a sight to see, hovering in the storm cloud-covered sky. Milvus milvus is my favourite Abruzzese bird, without a doubt. TiemenI absolutely adore the sound of the first Golden Orioles of the Spring and always listen out for the large flocks of bee-eaters flying over in September. I’m in Manoppello just on the edge of the mountains and although it’s not as easy to see birds as in the U.K. they are all around! One evening I’d not put any light on and was sitting and enjoying the sunset when a Little Owl flew into the room and calmly landed beside me. I was in heaven.I also love the sound of the quails in the meadows above us in Spring, wet me lips’ is their call. Sadly there are usually illegal hunters up there trying to catch them so I enjoy getting in the way. RebeccaRead more about the birds migrating through Europe on World Migratory Bird Day on the official siteBirding Sites in Abruzzo to FollowTo discover more about birding in Abruzzo do follow Stazione Ornitologica Abruzzese ONLUS who work tirelessly to protect Abruzzo’s birds. Snowfinch publishes a handy list of migratory birds they have seen up at Lago Campotosto each season. Author: Sam DunhamSam is a very lucky midlife 'mamma' to A who is 13 and juggles working as a freelance SEO copywriter & teaches IGCSEs at Istituo Cristo Re in Rome. She is the founder of the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, co-founder of Let's Blog Abruzzo and 'English in the Woods' initiative.Protecting Abruzzo’s Charm,Empowering Generations to Come:Grow Life in Abruzzo!Support our not-for-profit cultural association via GoFundMe Donate now FREE NEWSLETTER Leave this field empty if you're human: