Quantification of the Starling Population, Estimation and Mapping of the Damage to Olive Crops in the Apulia Region

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Near Brindisi (Apulia, S-E Italy), a substantial amount of cash compensation claims for damages reported by local farmers and attributed to starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) has been registered. This led us to conduct this study in order to quantify the starling population wintering in the Apulia region and to assess the potential damage to crop production. Our analysis was conducted over three years, to determine species abundance, their movements, and their preferred areas and crops. The study showed a loss, in terms of gross profitable production, of around 550,000 euros per year, concentrated mainly in a few limited areas. Results on species behaviour, damage quantification, and mapping are useful elements aimed to activate trade-off measures to preserve production and protection objectives, and to allow policymakers to address enforcement interventions and to establish parameters for financial compensation. ABSTRACT: The presence of wildlife in areas with a high concentration of farming activities can create a conflict between conservation objectives and productive purposes. Near Brindisi (Apulia, S-E Italy), a substantial amount of cash compensation claims for damages reported by local farmers and attributed to starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) has been registered. The aim of this study was to quantify the starling population wintering in the Apulia region, in order to assess the potential damage to crop production caused by this species. Our analysis was conducted over three years and included three main activities: a study of starling abundance and movements, the identification of areas and crops affected by damages, and a determination of the damage to the agricultural system in terms of quantity and concentration (heatmap). The study showed a loss of expected production that was coherent with the eating capacity of starlings wintering in the region. This means a loss, in terms of gross profitable production, of around 550,000 euros concentrated in a few narrow areas close to the roosts. Results on species behavior, damage quantification, and mapping are useful elements aimed to activate trade-off measures to preserve production and protection objectives, and to allow policymakers to address enforcement interventions and to establish parameters for financial compensation.