Riserva Naturale Crava Morozzo

Piemonte > Italy

Protected wetland of 300 hectares with really good birding and a whole series of birding-hides, ponds and look-outs.

Added* by Birdingplaces Team
Most recent update 31 May 2023

Description

Riserva Naturale Crava Morozzo is a well hidden wetland located in a river valley with really good birding. The reserve is not so easy to find if you don’t know the way. This reserve of 300 hectares is protected by LIPU, the Italian BirdLife Partner. It is an oasis of birds in otherwise not to rich bird surroundings. There is a whole series of viewing screens and bird watching hides in the reserve and it is always a surprise what you find here. During migration time anything can turn up here, especially waders and waterbirds. To date, more than 150 different bird species have been seen. Starting fom the parking place after a few hundred meters you arrive at a dam. Check the tall trees on the opposite side of the river here for Golden Oriole. On the dam itself look for Common Kingfisher and Green Sandpiper. Turn left at the dam and from there you walk the main trail through the nature reserve. Nice birds you can find are Purple Heron , Great Bittern, Little Bittern, Black-winged Stilt and Black-crowned Night Heron. You pass various ponds, bird hides and viewing screens. The reserve is not very big, but you can easily spend a whole morning here.

Details

Access

A good place to enter the reserve is the parking right next to the gas station "Gazzola Carburanti" in the village of Morozzo. Click on the P in the map to get directions. On this desolate parking lot you cannot imagine that there is a nature reserve nearby somewhere. But walk to the rear of the parking and a path zigzags down into the reserve. The reserve is open year round from dawn to dusk and the entrance is free. The only way to explore the reserve is by foot.

Terrain and Habitat

Forest , Wetland , River , Lake

Conditions

Flat , Hilly , Wet

Circular trail

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring , Spring migration , Autumn migration

Route

Wide path , Narrow trail , Unpaved road

Difficulty walking trail

Average walk

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

Yes

Extra info

Best time to visit is the early morning when it's tranquil and full of birds. After 10 o'clock dayvisitors arrive (not many) and bird activity drops. There is a small visitor center with a café, but the opening hours are infrequent. A telescope is not really necessary, because most of the time you are close to the birds. But there are also some hides where a scope can be helpful.