Great cormorant
phalacrocorax carbo sinensis
In other words…
phalacrocorax: Greek for bald raven, common name for this marine species due to the smoothness of its plumage
carbo: coal, for its blackness
sinensis: from China, for its Euro-Asian habitat
dimensions: 90 x 152 cm wingspan
How can you recognise it?
This large bird is the Mediterranean and Asian variety of the European cormorant (phalacrocorax carbo carbo). The adult, with shiny black plumage, has broad, rounded wings, a short and wedge-shaped tail, yellow-green eyes and a yellow beak. Only the outer thighs, the throat and the sides of the neck are white. It has black legs and webbed feet.
Habitat and reproduction:
It is often found near ponds and along the coast. This migratory bird breeds in Sardinia, on cliffs, in trees or on the ground, and usually lays 3 to 5 eggs.
Protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)
European shag
phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii
In other words…
phalacrocorax: Greek for bald raven, common name for this marine species due to the smoothness of its plumage
aritotelis: after the Greek philosopher Aristotle
desmarestii: after the zoologist Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest
dimensions: 62 x 122 cm wingspan
How can you recognise it?
This species lives in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It has a slender body and a long, slightly hooked yellow bill with a black tip. It has a crest on its head, as well as large, broad, rounded wings and a medium-sized wedge-shaped tail. The adult has black plumage with green highlights, a blue-green head and neck, green eyes with a yellow eye ring, and black legs with webbed feet.
Habitat and reproduction:
It lives near ponds and along the coast. It is sedentary in Sardinia, where it nests in flocks on cliffs. It lays 2 to 5 eggs.
Protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)
Grey heron
ardea cinerea
In other words…
ardea: Latin for heron
cinerea: ash, for its grey plumage
dimensions: 90 cm x 180 cm wingspan
How can you recognise it?
This is the greatest heron in Europe! The feathering is mostly ashy-grey, but the head and long neck are white with black stripes. It also has a long, sharply-pointed beak and long legs. The large, rounded wings are dark grey with a white patch near the neck. The tail is very short and squared. The head features a slender crest. The eyes, the beak and the legs are yellow.
Habitat and reproduction :
This bird of wetland areas can be seen around ponds, marshes, rivers, lakes, and on the sea coast. It usually migrates and does not breed in Sardinia.
Protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)
Mediterranean peregrine falcon
falco peregrinus brookei
In other words…
falco: Latin for falcon
peregrinus: pilgrim, probably because the first specimens were captured far from the nests.
brookei: after zoologist W. K. Brooks
dimensions: 34 x 68-74 cm wingspan
How can you recognise it?
It is one of the most common birds of prey. It has long pointed wings and a square tail. The plumage is spotted with black, both on the grey-brown back and the cream-coloured belly. The wing tips are darker. He has dark eyes with a yellow eye ring and yellow legs.
Habitat and reproduction :
It lives in fields, sparse forests, on the coast, and even in gardens on the outskirts of inhabited areas across Sardinia. It is sedentary and builds its nest in rock cavities, on isolated trees or abandoned buildings. It lays 4 to 6 eggs.
Protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)
Barbary partridge
alectoris barbara
In other words…
alectoris: Greek for “cock”, as it belongs to the order of Galliformes
barbara: from Northwest Africa
dimensions: 33 cm
How can you recognise it?
This medium-sized bird is rotund, with fairly short, rounded wings, a small wedged tail and a powerful, slightly curved red beak. The neck and back are grey-brown. It has a white spotted collar. The head, chest and rufous-streaked flanks are white, whereas the belly is buff. It has dark eyes with a red eye circle, and red legs.
Habitat and reproduction :
It lives in Mediterranean scrub with shrubs in semi-arid areas. This species is native to North Africa, and in Europe, it can only be found in Sardinia and near Gibraltar (where it has been introduced). It is present throughout Sardinia, where it is sedentary. It builds its nest on the ground, under small bushes, and lays between 8 and 16 eggs.
Yellow-legged gull
larus michahellis
In other words…
larus: Latin for gull
michahellis: after zoologist Karl Michahelles
dimensions: 55 cm
How can you recognise it?
This variety is one of the largest and most common gulls. The adult’s plumage is white. The long, pointed grey wings have black tips with a small white spot. The tail is square, the eyes and the webbed feet are yellow, and the curved beak is also yellow with a small red spot.
Habitat and reproduction:
It usually lives in coastal areas, it can also travel tens of kilometres inland, where it scavenges in urban areas and lives near rivers and man-made lakes.
Protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)
Audouin’s gull
ichthyaetus auduinii
In other words…
ichthyaetus: Greek for “fish-eagle”
auduinii: after zoologist Victor Audouin
dimensions: 49 cm
How can you recognise it?
The Audouin’s gull is similar to the yellow-legged gull but is smaller and lighter in colour. It has a white patch at the end of its long, thin black wings. The medium-sized tail is square, the dark eyes have a red eye circle, the bill is also red with a yellow curved tip. The webbed feet are dark green.
Habitat and reproduction :
This bird, which is quite rare, lives on coastal islets and wild cliffs. It rarely scavenges and feeds almost exclusively on fish and marine animals.
Protected species (regional law No. 32/1978). It is rare due to marine pollution and the competition with the yellow-legged gull.
Black-headed gull
chroicocephalus ridibundus
In other words…
chroicocephalus: Greek for ‘coloured head’
ridibundus: Latin for ‘laughing’, due to this gull’s characteristic call
dimensions: 35-38 cm
How can you recognise it?
This small gull has generally whitish plumage and a black head in spring and summer, while in winter only a few black spots around the eyes remain. It has dark eyes with a yellow eye ring. It has long, pointed wings, light grey and black at the tips, and a square tail. The red beak is lighter in summer and darker in winter, with a curved black tip. The pink legs are webbed.
Habitat and reproduction :
It can be found in coastal areas, by the sea or near ponds. In order to feed, it travels several kilometres inland to scavenge. This migratory species nests in Sardinia.
Protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)
Common starling
sturnus vulgaris
In other words…
sturnus: Latin for starling
vulgaris: common – as this is the most frequently spotted species during migration
dimensions: 21 cm
How can you recognise it?
The common starling is a small bird with a wedge-shaped tail and a long yellow bill. It has medium-sized triangular wings, dark red eyes and thin pink legs. The plumage is iridescent black, glossed purple, blue or green and it is spangled with white, especially in winter.
Habitat and reproduction:
Common starlings live in the open countryside, as well as in parks and gardens. During migration, starlings gather in flocks of several thousand and impressive murmurations can be seen, that is, flocks twisting, turning, swooping and swirling across the sky.
Spotless starling
sturnus unicolor
In other words…
sturnus: Latin for starling
unicolor: “one colour”, due to its evenly black plumage
dimensions: 21 cm
How can you recognise it?
The spotless starling looks like the common starling, but it has a darker black plumage, and no white spots. It has a slightly elongated head and a short, wedge-shaped tail. It has medium-sized triangular wings, a long yellow beak, dark red eyes and thin pink legs.
Habitat and reproduction :
It lives in the countryside as well as in urban areas.
Protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)
Sardinian fox
vulpes vulpes ichnusae
In other words…
vulpes: Latin for fox
ichnusae: from Sardinia
dimensions: body length 59-64 cm, tail 28-34 cm
How can you recognise it?
The Sardinian fox is a smaller subspecies of the European red fox. It has a triangular head, a pointed and elongated muzzle, large pointed ears, large eyes, a slender and elongated body, thin legs with powerful claws, a long bushy tail which alone accounts for more than one third of the animal’s total length. The coat is reddish-brown or fawn with shades of grey, while the underparts are white.
Habitat and reproduction :
Sardinian foxes can be seen throughout Sardinia, in the arid lands of the Mediterranean scrub. The dens are usually found under bushes. Sardinian foxes breed between January and March, and the vixen gives birth to 3 to 8 kits after a gestation of about 2 months.
Mediterranean wild boar
sus scrofa meridionalis
In other words…
sus: Latin for pig and boar
scrofa: Latin for ‘sow’
meridionalis: Latin for ‘southern’
dimensions: body length, tail included 100-120 cm
How can you recognise it?
This Sardinian and Corsican subspecies is significantly smaller than the European wild boar. The adult male weighs 70–80 kg, much less than the average 120–130 kg European wild boar. Mediterranean wild boars have a long, very large head with small eyes, long erect ears, a powerful snout and well-developed canine teeth or even tusks for adult males. They have a bulky body and a sturdy neck. The slender legs end with 4 toes, but only the two middle ones touch the ground. The short, thin tail ends in a long brush of bristles. is covered with hair, especially toward the tip.
The Mediterranean wild boar has 12 teats, the body is covered with bristles, which sometimes form a small crest on the back. The adult’s coat is dark brown with small white stripes. Piglets are lighter brown, with long stripes on their coat for camouflage.
Habitat and reproduction :
The Mediterranean wild boar is widespread all over Sardinia, in the woods and the Mediterranean scrub. It breeds in winter and the young piglets are born in April or May, after a gestation period of 16 to 20 weeks. There are often 3 or 4 of them, but some litters can have up to 12 young.
Fallow deer
dama dama
In other words…
dama: Latin for fallow deer
dimensions: body length 130-155 cm, tail 16-19 cm, shoulder height 80-110 cm
How can you recognise it?
This ruminant has a round, elongated muzzle, large eyes and long, pointed ears. The buck grows broad palmate antlers, which fall off and grow anew stronger each year. The neck is thin and long, the trunk elongated, the legs long and slender. The tail is quite short and almost always in motion. It has four udders. The coat is fawn red with small round white spots on the back and flanks. It is also recognisable by a long dark stripe on the back, from the nape of the neck to the tip of the tail, as well as by its white rump patch outlined in black.
Habitat and reproduction :
Fallow deer live in Mediterranean woods and scrub, but are very rare in Sardinia. They breed in autumn. Two fawns (sometimes only one) are born between May and July, after a gestation period of about 31 weeks.
Highly protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)
Mouflon
ovis musimon
In other words…
ovis: Latin for sheep, whether wild or domestic
musimon: other name for this species, according to Greek and Latin writers
dimensions: body 100-130 cm, tail 4-6 cm, shoulder height 65-75 cm
How can you recognise it?
This species is endemic to Sardinia and Corsica. The build is similar to that of a sheep. It has a medium-sized head, its a long and round muzzle. It has very large eyes and small ears. Males (or rams) have horns that spiral backwards, which are sometimes also seen in females (or ewes). The number of rings on the horns help estimate the age of the individual. The neck of the male is long, broad and covered with long hair, while that of the female is thinner. The trunk is robust; the legs are both thin and muscular and end in two phalanges with strong hooves. The tail is tiny. The male’s coat is reddish brown with a white saddle, while the female’s is lighter, tending towards fawn.
Habitat and reproduction :
Mouflon live in steep, rocky mountains with holm oak and cork oak forests or Mediterranean scrub. They are rather rare but their population is growing. Breeding takes place in autumn and the young are born around March-April, after a gestation period of about 22 weeks.
Highly protected species (regional law No. 32/1978)