The short-toed eagle Circaetus gallicus is a summer resident in Europe, wintering in tropical Africa (Cramp and Simmons 1980). In Italy, a breeding population of about 400 pairs has been estimated, mostly distributed in the Alps, pre-Alps, Ligurian Apennines and along the western slope of central Italy (Cattaneo and Petretti 1992, Cattaneo 1998). During migration, this species uses mostly soaring flight over land, avoiding long sea crossings (Kerlinger 1989, Meyburg et al. 1998). In the Mediterranean basin, the greatest concentration of migrating individuals is observed at the Strait of Gibraltar, both during autumn and spring movements (Finlayson 1992). On the other hand, spring movements appear to be virtually non-existent over the central Mediterranean area (Beaman and Galea 1974, Agostini and Malara 1997, Agostini and Logozzo 1998, Agostini 2001). Individuals breeding in central Italy use a circuitous route both during autumn and spring migration, cross-ing the Mediterranean at the Strait of Gibraltar and migrating along the Ligurian Apennines (northwest-ern Italy), where the greatest concentration of migrat-ing short-toed eagles occurs (Baghino and Leugio 1989, 1990, Baghino 1996, Agostini and Malara 1997, Agostini et al. 2002a, b, Premuda 2002, Baghino 2003). They limit the flight over water (only 14 km across the Strait of Gibraltar), probably favouring a safe migration, as a result of a conservative strategy (Agostini et al. 2002b). During autumn, in southern continental Italy the migratory flow of this species is very limited, simi-larly to that observed during spring at the Strait of Messina (between southern continental Italy and Sicily; Giordano 1991, Agostini and Logozzo 1995a, 1995b, 1997); some birds are also observed over the islands of Malta during the second half of September and early October (Beaman and Galea 1974, Sultana and Gauci 1982, Agostini et al. 2002a), and occasion-ally in late autumn (late October-November) (Coleiro 1999 and C. Coleiro, pers. comm.). The aim of this study was to provide information on the autumn migration of the short-toed eagle along the western slopes of central Italy, through systematic observations on the Apuane Alps (Tuscany, central