Three Peaks of Monte Bondone (Provincial Nature Reserve and SAC)

• Municipality: Trento
• Hectares: 223
• Natura 2000 Network Code: IT3120015

It occupies a small valley (Merlo Valley) of glacial origin that from Viote reaches the Three Peaks of Monte Bondone as part of the national forest of Monte Bondone. At lower altitude there are mainly meadows and European spruce (Picea babies) forests, going up we can find mountain pine bushes, alpine and northern habitats until we encounter groups of topmost weeds. Within the fauna we can observe the alpine marmot (Marmota marmota), that after the reintroduction live in stable populations; within the ungulates we can find the red deer (Cervus elaphus), rarely the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and at higher altitude some groups of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra). The site is home to more or less forty species of birds, some of which are under special preservation measures. The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the kestrel (Falcus tinnunculus), the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), the Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum), the boreal owl (Aegolius funereus), the long-eared owl (Asio otus), the peregrine falcon (Falcus peregrinus) and the rock partridge (Alectoris graeca) build their nest there. There are various black grouses' (Lyrurus tetrix) singing arenas, in favour of which an early European project has set a series of actions to recover the necessary habitats for their delicate reproduction. While within the flora, important species like Geranium argenteum and Paeonia officinalis can be found. On the rocks there is the fragile Artemisia nitida and in rock shelters there is Sisymbrium austriacum.

Map

(Go to the interactive map of the Network of Nature Reserves)