Birdwatching fans will not miss a visit to the Storks and Anatidae Center of Racconigi, created in 1985 with the aim of reintroducing the White Stork, a breed that became extinct in the 18th century.
The ornithologist Bruno Vaschetti, in collaboration with the Italian League for the Protection of Birds, undertook this journey driven by a great passion aimed at safeguarding biodiversity. Thanks to the help of the first European stork center, founded by Max Bloesch in Switzerland in 1948, the first 10 storks arrived in Racconigi and already in 1986 the first pair nested in freedom.
Given the extraordinary achievements, in the following years, the project expanded to include other extinct or endangered species such as the Rusty Hunchback (diving duck, now extinct in Italy since the seventies) or other species of ducks, geese and swans now become rare.
Today, the area dedicated to this project covers 15 hectares and offers birds a safe area to stop during migration. The increase in collaborations with specialized centers throughout Europe has allowed to deepen the knowledge of the biology of different species and to perfect the techniques of captive breeding for the reintroduction of others.
The experience gained in this way is now available to other associations and organizations. The center is always open since every moment of the year has characteristic moments to observe.
For more information about opening times and price, click here.
