Common name: Tawny owl

Scientific name: Strix aluco

Class: Aves

Order: Strigiformes

Family: Strigidae

Nutrition:  Mice, reptiles, insects, small birds.

Features: It has black eyes, no ear tufts, and blends perfectly into the forest thanks to the color of its plumage, which can resemble the bark of a tree.

Its ears, positioned asymmetrically, give it excellent hearing. It usually nests in tree holes but can also use old nests of other species. It nests from February and rarely before mid-March.

Curiosity: howl-like song is often included in films to emphasize moments of fear.

Common name: European bee-eater

Scientific name: Merops apiaster

Class: Aves

Order: Coraciiformes

Family: Meropidae

Nutrition:  insects.

Features: The plumage is very colourful and varies from red, yellow and turquoise on the back to a deep blue on the ventral portion. It is a diurnal bird that spends most of its time on a perch waiting to catch some insects. In Italy, nesting colonies are concentrated almost exclusively in the plains and hills. The species arrives in our country between the end of April and the beginning of May, to leave in late August. 

Curiosity: It makes very long migrations covering distances of over 15,000 km.

Common name: European rabbit

Scientific name: Oryctolagus cuniculus 

Class: Mammalia

Order: Lagomorpha

Family: Leporidae

Nutrition:  Herbs, leaves, barks, vegetables, fruits, berries.

Features: It is similar to the hare, much smaller than the common domestic rabbit. It has brown-grey fur and rather short legs. It is a social animal; the family comprises 2-3 males and 4-6 females. Within the group there is a particularly strict hierarchy characterised by the dominant presence of a pair that defends and maintains the territory.

Curiosity: It was introduced to central Europe and to the Mediterranean islands in Roman times.

Common name: Eurasian magpie

Scientific name: Pica pica 

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Corvidae

Nutrition:  Omnivorous: nuts, acorns, berries and fruits, invertebrates such as beetles and spiders.

Features: It has a wingspan of 52-62 cm and shiny black plumage alternating with large white sections. It is a very intelligent animal with a highly developed brain. The male and female birds collaborate in the creation of the nest, one holds the twigs in place, the other flies around looking for more twigs and then weaves them together to create the nest architecture.

Curiosity: In Norse mythology, the magpie represented the messenger of the gods.

Common name: European hare

Scientific name: Lepus europaeus

Class: Mammalia

Order: Lagomorpha

Family: Leporidae

Nutrition:  Herbaceous plants, fruits, mushrooms; tree and shrub bark.

Features: Its long hind legs are used to pounce in search of food or to make deft escapes. It does not dig burrows and during the day rests in hiding places in bushes or in depressions in the ground. They have an excellent sense of sight, smell and hearing, thanks to which they spot predators and make their escape.

Curiosity: During the run, it can reach up to 60 km/h.