Since
a young age I have been fascinated about fauna, nature and hiking. Born in
Florence, I grew up in Tuscany, an Italian region renowned for its treasures of
renaissance art, culture and the harmonious and peaceful landscapes of hilly
countryside - not to mention its fine food and wines.
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Less known is
the very diverse and interesting spectrum of ecosystems and habitats of this
region, which I have traveled and explored extensively since I started
birding, more than 20 years ago. Growing up, I developed a passion for
exploring wild natural sites and for finding rare and fascinating expressions
of the natural world. Actually, I started to practise this kind of
“inclination” early, while I was still living in Florence. |
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For instance,
while involved as an observer in a breeding bird atlas project for the
Florence city hall (organized by LIPU, the BirdLife’s Italian partner), I
found two new interesting species, i.e., Blue Rock Trush and a pair of
Peregrine (brookei race) ,
seasonally occurring on the top of renowned monuments within the historical
centre of the town – I then investigated the diet and prey selection of the
falcon pair across two years (Serra et al. 2001a). |
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During several
travels and working stay around the world I have never stopped practising the
search for fauna rarities. For example, I recall to have searched for white-tailed
eagles in the Ebrids, for whales in Chile and California, for orcas
(swallowing young sea lions) on the shores of Patagonia, and also in western
Canada; for wolves, bears and moutain lions in the north-west US, tigers and
elephants in Thailand etc. Partly as a consequence of this passion, I have
also developed good skills in photo-trapping large-sized mammals
(in
California and in Tuscany). |
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During period
1999-2000 I worked as a field ornithologist researcher on an Audouin’s Gull
conservation project, within the small islands of Thyrrenian sea (Serra et
al. 2001b, Serra et al. in submiss.), under the supervision of one of
the most experienced and authoritative Italian ornithologist (Nicola
Baccetti/Istituto Nazionale Fauna Selvatica) – among other activities I
searched for new colonies of this rare gull and also of the Cory’s Shearwater
– in addition to some ringing work on both these two marine birds. |
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During period
2000-2004 I was appointed by UN to carry out a long-term wildlife survey of the
central Syrian desert, leading a team of local hunters, nomads and gov. staff.
Nine globally threatened bird species were detected [among these, the N. Bald
Ibis, critically endangered, rediscovered after 70 years in Syria (Serra
2003, Serra
et al. 2003)]; 21 species potentially new records for Syria and a further
54 potentially new records for central Syrian desert have been submitted to
Sandgrouse, the journal of the Ornithological Society of the Middle East.
Another 8-10 potentially new records for SW and NW Syria will be soon submitted
to the same journal. Moreover, several faunal detections and identifications,
from invertebrates to mammals, resulted as first records for Syria (e.g., an
insect Aphodidae resulted as a new species for enthomology, i.e., never
described before, while the Black Cobra Walterinnesia aegyptia was never
detected in Syria before - see picture below and see Sindaco et al. in publ.).
From this long-term survey, a huge photo-archive of desert fauna was also
prepared (from invertebrates to mammals; for instance see a sample of the bird
photos
).
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During my 4-year stay in
Syria, I have acted as a Syria contact for the Ornithological Society of the
Middle East (OSME), helping out European birders in visiting and enjoying the
Syrian wilds and birds. In order to help my Syrian trainees get started as
eco-guides, I have prepared a presentation / profile of them, and advises on
the most interesting birding itineraries in Syria. This information was
posted in the web (see Birding in
Syria). During February 2004, I led one of the three international teams
of the first expedition to Syrian wetlands (Murdoch et al. 2004) - supported
by OSME, BirdLife International, AEWA and Wetlands International. |
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Due to my
passion for birding and hiking coupled with my training and education as a
field ecologist, I have gained a quite broad knowledge of natural history
during the past 20 years. Finally, I have also a quite broad interest in
general culture, and I am interested and knowledgeable in art, history and
culture of my region and country, and also of the Middle East. |
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REFERENCES
Murdoch D., Andrews I., Hofland R. 2004. A Winter Survey of
Syrian Wetlands. Provisional Report of the Syrian Wetland Expedition 2004. Sandgrouse,
autumn issue. Serra G.
2003. Discovery of Northern Bald Ibises in Syria. World Birdwatch (BirdLife
International magazine), 25(1): 10-13 (see version on-line at: http://www.danadeclaration.org/text%20website/ibis_worldbirdwatch.pdf). Serra G.,
Lucentini M. and Romano S. 2001a. Diet and prey selection of nonbreeding peregrine falcons (Falco
peregrinus brookei) in a urban habitat of Italy. Journal of Raptor
Research 35(1): 61-64. Serra G., Melega
L., Baccetti N. 2001b. National Action Plan for the Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii). Quaderni di Conservazione della Natura, Ministero
dell'Ambiente e Istituto Nazionale Fauna Selvatica (INFS) “Alessandro Ghigi”,
pp. 29. Serra G., Abdallah M.,
Abdallah A., Al Qaim G., Fayed T., Assaed A., Williamson D. 2003. Discovery
of a relict breeding colony of Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in
Syria: still in time to save the eastern population ? Oryx, 38 (1): 1-7 (see version on-line at: http://www.danadeclaration.org/text%20website/ibis_ORYX.pdf). Serra G.,
Abdallah M., Assaed A., Al Qaim
G., Abdallah A. 2005. A long-term
bird survey of central Syrian desert (2000-2004) – Part 1. Sandgrouse,
spring issue. Serra G., Baccetti N., Zenatello M., Serra L. In submission. Island selection by
breeding Audouin’s Gull (Larus
audouinii) in Sardinia, Italy. Condor. Serra G.,
Abdallah M., Assaed A., Al Qaim
G., Abdallah A. 2005. A long-term
bird survey of central Syrian desert (2000-2004) – Part 1. Sandgrouse,
spring issue. Sindaco R., Menegon M., Serra G. In
publication. First record of Black Cobra Walterinnesia aegyptia in
Syria. Acta herpetologica. |
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photos by G. Serra
(except that of Black Cobra, by Leviton
et al. 1992)
Last updated on 8 February 2005