Abstract
Owing to its great latitudinal extension and environmental heterogeneity, Italy hosts a relatively large number of birds of prey. Considering both diurnal and nocturnal species, 47 taxa are known to occur regularly in the country, 31 of which breed here, while two have gone extinct as breeders. To promote the conservation of some of the most endangered species, the Italian Ministry for the Environment issued the national action plans for the Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus feldeggii, the Eleonora Falcon F. eleonorae and the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus. A regional action plan has been drafted for the conservation of the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus in Sardinia. Monitoring is currently carried out by different actors and with different aims, especially to evaluate trends of common species and species of conservation concern.