Salina is an island worthy of a boat tour, where 70% of the coast that is otherwise not visible can be admired this way. Starting counter-clockwise from the bay of Pollara, towards the village of Rinella, you immediately come across a cliff around 300 metres high, completely overlooking the sea: this is the face of the Falconiera.
This sheer escarpment, which in geology is called a crag, is the result of the dismantling, due to sea and wind erosion, of the oldest eruptive centre of Salina, of which some structures can still be seen.
However, in recent decades the cliff has become a crucial and very important observation site of Eleonora’s falcon. This is a medium-sized bird of the Falconidae family, whose name is a tribute to Eleonor of Arborea, a ruler of the Sardinian nation who in the 14th century compiled a code of laws in which she included an article prohibiting the hunting of adult falcons.
Eleonora’s falcon nests in numerous colonies, located on sheer cliffs and uninhabited isles. It is a migratory species that nests, from spring to autumn, in different coastal areas of the Mediterranean (such as the Falconiera of Salina). At the end of autumn, it makes a long Trans-Saharan migration to Madagascar, where it hibernates.
On the face of the Falconiera there is currently one of the largest colonies in Italy, with 15 couples currently identified.
