The first inventory of birds of prey in sicilian museum collections (Italy)

Abstract

Natural History Museums are places of scientific dissemination and informal education, and have a fundamental role in scientific research and in preserving the historical heritage of a territory and its biodiversity. The island of Sicily, thanks to its geographic position as an inter-continental bridge in the Mediterranean, presents a notable ornithological diversity, with both sedentary species and species that migrate between Africa and Europe. For this reason, and thanks to a strong hunting tradition, Sicilian collections also depict the avifaunal assemblage historically present in the region, particularly for birds of prey, the group we focus on because of its particular ecological characteristics and cultural interests. However, the partnership among museum institutions, generally and in Italy, is complex and fragmented, and thus a census of Sicilian raptors collections had not been attempted yet. This study presents data from 16 public museum institutions, reporting the presence in their collections more than 1800 specimens belonging to 64 species. This census presents a detailed estimate of the Sicilian museum patrimony regarding this charismatic group, which may constitute a starting point for future studies and contribute to the visibility, promotion and interconnection of the institutions involved.