16/10/2026
The Lesser Kestrel in Lazio: a beautiful story to tell.
In 2010, the first breeding of the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) was discovered in an abandoned farmhouse in the Mignone Valley, in northern Lazio. Soon afterwards, restoration work began on the farmhouse, raising concerns about the future of this small colony.
The owners were contacted. They were not only surprised to discover that Lesser Kestrels were nesting in their building — they were enthusiastic about helping them.
They decided to preserve the cavities in the walls where the birds were nesting and even added small ledges underneath them to make landing easier.
As the colony grew, nest boxes were installed to provide further breeding opportunities.
In 2026, 30 pairs of Lesser Kestrels bred at Villa Naumanni. An individual originating from Bulgaria was also identified, while several other pairs are present in the surrounding area, particularly around Tarquinia.
The farmhouse is now a holiday accommodation called, quite appropriately, Villa Naumanni.
Bianca and Roberto, the owners, have become great supporters of this little Falcon. They take part in monitoring activities and work with wildlife rescue centres to help young birds that have fallen from the nest and individuals in difficulty.
Roberto once told us:
“I thought I would create an accommodation business here because the area is rich in archaeological sites and we are close to the sea. I never imagined that most of our guests would be birdwatchers and wildlife photographers coming here to see the Lesser Kestrel.”
And this is exactly what happened.
Today, Villa Naumanni has become a destination for birdwatchers and wildlife photographers coming to observe and photograph these beautiful little Falcons.
But the Lesser Kestrel is not the only attraction of the Mignone Valley.
The area is home to a rich variety of birdlife, including Black Stork, European Roller, European Bee-eater and Stone-curlew, as well as birds of prey such as Short-toed Snake Eagle, Black Kite, Red Kite, Common Buzzard, European Honey Buzzard and Montagu’s Harrier.
For birdwatchers and wildlife photographers, the Mignone Valley is therefore a fascinating place to explore.
