Molentargius, kingdom of the sultan chicken and the pink flamingo

The ponds of Santa Gilla (the wider) and Molentargius, with its surrounding sale-pits (in large part disused, even if a rescue project is under study), constitute a complex of humid zones which characterize the city of Cagliari and the hinterland. Here, several species of birds nest all-year-round: pink flamingo, sultan chicken, gray heron, duck-hawk, garzetta, Italian knight, griffon, Sardinian partridge.

The elegant flamingo (called in the “campidanese” dialect “sa genti arrubia”, the red gents, from a part of the feathers colour of these wading birds) are probably the main attraction: they fly even thousands kilometres and come mainly from Africa. Thousands of them stay in Sardinia while a large part proceed toward other European Countries (Camargue in France, is for example, one of the most populated areas by flamingoes).

Ponds and salt-pits are connected to each others and with the sea through channels, partly navigable. Recently, the Park of Molentargius has been created with the aim to preserve one of the most important humid zones of the entire Mediterranean Sea from the cement's threat. Between the nineteenth and twentieth century, a few drainage actions have reduced the number of ponds in the low Campidano territory.