Article written by Antonio Iannibelli and translated by Marco Albertini

The lesser kestrel  (“falco naumanni”) is a bird of prey belonging to the group of falcons which has been very closed to men for a long time.

If you have the chance to travel through south Italy in the area between Puglia and Basilicata well know for its stones and rocky churches, among tuff quarries and wide plateaux, you might spot some strange swifts up in the sky.

The lesser kestrel

There are motionless outlines of several birds of prey among thousands of electricity pylons and kilometres of overhead cables.

While you are driving along all those half-empty roads, you can be easily surprised by the large amount of birds living in this territory.

It’s seems like you are travelling through a drab landscape, especially in August.

In this period in fact there is no green on the ground because of the drought and there are just one or two figures to be seen walking across the fields, among old empty manor farms and magnificent holiday farms, between many deep gullies and secular olive groves.

Hither and thither there are fire and smoke.

Here it’s easy to see the silhouette of the lesser kestrel. (continua…)

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