MOGLIANO – On 4 June 2024, a citizen reported to the Lipu section of Treviso the deliberate destruction of a house martin (Delichon urbicum) nest located on a private home in Bonisiolo di Mogliano Veneto. According to reports, the nest was already formed and contained an adult who had probably already started to brood. However, the owner of the apartment inserted a “broom” to limit the space, causing the nest to be abandoned.
The reporter reported having witnessed the removal of the nest and the cleaning of the fragments that had fallen onto the terrace. In the following days, the martins returned to the nesting site several times, finding themselves forced to cling to the wall of the condominium without finding their nest.
The episode is not isolated: the same behavior was also observed last year, but neither the reporter nor the neighbors were able to document the fact. Lipu underlines that the house martin is in a precarious state of conservation, with a negative population trend. Among the causes of this decline are illegal actions such as the destruction of nests.
Birds that nest in buildings, such as house martins, swallows (Hirundo rustica) and Italian sparrows (Passer italiae), are protected by law. The destruction of their nests is prohibited by article 21, paragraph 1, letter o), of Law no. 157 of 11 February 1992 and the article 635 of the penal code. Furthermore, the mistreatment of animals is punished by art. 544 ter of the penal code. Protection is reinforced by the Habitats Directive (EC no. 43/1992), the Birds Directive (EC no. 147/2009) and the Bern and Bonn Conventions.
Lipu Treviso informed the provincial police and the mayor of Mogliano Veneto, requesting intervention to investigate the case.
