Herons and associated species such as ibis, spoonbills and cormorants constitute a well-known group of colonial waterbirds. In Italy since the 1970s, breeding colonies, known as garzaie, have been regularly visited in order to check which species are established and the number of breeding pairs. The last national census was carried out in 2023 and in Friuli Venezia Giulia 17 garzaie were monitored, with 9 species present and a total of over 2000 breeding pairs. During the excursion, the Cavanata Valley garzaia will be visited and the results of this survey will be described.
