Fauna

During the year, the area shelters numerous species of water birds, including Grey Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Cattle Egret, Night Heron and several species of Anatidae, of which the Mallard, Teal and, in Spring, the Garganey are the most common. 

Amongst the waders there are growing numbers of the Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper, and also the Common Snipe and Common Greenshank.

Among the nesting species, the ever growing colony of Black-winged Stilts must be mentioned (in 2010 there was 34 confirmed nests), the  Little Grebe, Coot and Water Hen.  

Again in 2010 it was confirmed that several pairs of Kentish Plover are nesting in the area.

Among the other species of birds nesting within the area or in the immediate vicinity are the Kestrel and Woodchat Shrike, Yellow Wagtail and Great Reed Warbler.

Marsh Harriers, Short-toed Eagles and Eurasian Sparrowhawks have often been seen during migration.

There are many amphibians: in the various pools and ponds created and dedicated to the lesser fauna of the Piana Park, the Green Toad, Green Frogs and Tree Frogs, Crested and Smooth Newts can all be found.

As for the insects, mention must be made of the recent sighting of the rare Southern Festoon butterfly Zerynthia polyxena cassandra, the presence of some Chaoborid dipterans which are only found locally in Italian lakes, and the Large Water Beetle (Coleopteran) Hydrous piceus.