Natural History Wanderings

Bird Life International reported

Every spring and autumn, millions of birds cross the Strait of Messina, a narrow channel between Sicily and mainland Italy that forms one of Europe’s most important migration bottlenecks.

This passage is a key part of the African-Eurasian flyway where species like European Honey Buzzards, Western Marsh Harriers, Black Kites, and European Bee-eaters [1] funnel through after journeys of up to 2,700 km across the desert and 140 km over open sea. Besides being internationally important for bird migration, the area is home to habitats and species protected under the EU’s Natura 2000 network

The Italian government has now given final approval for the construction of the Messina Strait bridge. It’s set to be the longest single-span bridge in the world at 3.7 km, with two towers nearly as tall as the Empire State Building. The bridge will place massive structures directly in the path of one of the busiest migratory routes, increasing the risk of collisions with towers and cables, and placing a deadly obstacle for countless birds. Its lighting will disorient birds, exhausting them and leading to more deaths [3 Over time, migration patterns might be disrupted.

Read more  Millions of birds at risk from Italy’s planned Messina Strait Bridge – BirdLife International