But what is a virtuous project? And virtuous for whom? And made by whom? The questions could be many, but for once there is an idea that can make everyone agree, hunters, farmers, environmentalists. Yes, because this time we are trying to reconstitute populations of wild birds once common, very common in many areas of the Pesaro area. Until the 60s-70s of the twentieth century the Gray Partridge, Galliforme similar to a young pheasant but of more noble origins, was a stable and abundant inhabitant of the set of fields, pastures, meadows and prairies, shrubs, hedges and typical rows of the Marche countryside. A set of negative factors, including the change in cultivation methods, intensive and a little too aggressive agriculture, the abandonment of crops in marginal areas, overbuilding, pathologies and excessive hunting have decimated it throughout Europe. Today, almost everywhere, we try to go back to the old days and put a patch on the damage done. Recently, in fact, the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea, in concert with the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, has instructed ISPRA to prepare the National Management Plan for Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix), whose autochthonous subspecies of Italy Perdix perdix italica, it is included in Annex A of the Birds Directive (2009/147 / EC); the European population is considered vulnerable and decreasing, in Italy it has almost disappeared.
In the provincial context, one of the two wildlife management bodies, the Territorial Hunting Area (ATC) PS2 in collaboration with the ENCI provincial delegation of Pesaro and Urbino, has launched, on the basis of the indications provided by the aforementioned National Plan, a ambitious project for the reintroduction of this species. In particular, the Cesano river valley was chosen, where the complex reintroduction operation was started along the network of protection institutes. The main objective is to reconstitute stable and self-reproducing populations of Gray Partridge; important secondary objectives are to increase biodiversity, to raise environmental quality (considering the role of "quality indicator" that the species covers), to constitute an "operational base" of value to encourage quality dog activities.
The operations involved 33 different sites, with the release in the wild of couples in spring, and of juveniles accompanied by an adult male with a recall function, between July and September.
All animals are ringed with metal rings, with their own ATC PS2 numerical identification code.
Before being released into the wild, the partridges are set in special gabions in order to cement the union of the couple or brigade in formation. After the release in the wild, the project foresees the constant monitoring of the population, through censuses of singing in spring, censuses of broods in August, censuses with specialized dogs in autumn.
But the project does not end there. Together with the previous operations, in addition to the ban on hunting partridge during the project period and specific supervision, it also provides for the so-called agronomic interventions.
In fact, these animals remain on our territory if the environment also improves. For this reason, various agricultural practices have been activated (disposable crops, delayed plowing of stubble, planting of new hedges, maintenance and construction of water points in summer, delayed shredding in orchards and olive groves), which increase hospitality. not only for partridges but also for all the other animals that frequent the agroecosystems: pheasants, quail, larks, birds of prey such as harriers but also mammals such as hares and roe deer. It is clear what great involvement of volunteers the different operations need!
The project has a multi-year value; started in 2017, it will continue for at least 3 years, under the supervision of the Marche Region, with the approval of ISPRA, trying to bring back a species like the Gray Partridge, with a high naturalistic, cultural and social value, therefore enjoyable and appreciable by all citizens, not just by hunters.
In these days the last releases of the year have been made, therefore all those who frequent the Cesano valley are invited to pay attention so as not to disturb the partridges neither in the accommodation facilities, nor with dogs, nor during hunting, reporting any presences or denouncing illegal acts.
The first results are encouraging; the flight of a brigade of partridges in our countryside is a recommended show for everyone!