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Serbia – birding overview of a year in the Central Balkans

10,000 Birds

Serbia has 317 eBirded species so far, or 89% of the 356 in the national checklist. Among travel guides, due to its extensive coverage of natural history and birding sites, recommendation goes to Laurence Mitchell’s Serbia: The Bradt Travel Guide (5th edition, 2017). Common Quail , Grey Partridge , Turtle Dove , too.

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Planning and executing birding plans in the times of corona-virus

10,000 Birds

The first thing to appear was its yellow bill – a locally rare Cattle Egret ! This was only my seventh observation of this species in Europe (3 in Greece, 4 in Serbia). The cooperative egret even landed on a small grassy island to pose for my camera.

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Definitively the Egyptians!

10,000 Birds

During my lifetime, this species was rare in my native Serbia, too. That was not all, a few days later, by one village rubbish dump, not far from Ahmedabad, we had more than 100 Egyptian Vultures (above); plus 20 more at the dead cattle dumping site at the outskirts of the city.

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The Great Bustard Search is On (1)

10,000 Birds

I am preparing for the new census of one of the rarest birds of Serbia, the globally threatened Great Bustard , taking place two days from now. In breeding season grazing cattle may walk through the nest, breaking the eggs, while wild and domestic pigs may eat both eggs and chicks. m–8 ft 10 in). m–8 ft 10 in).

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The best-kept birding secrets of Belgrade

10,000 Birds

The very best wetland birding around Belgrade, Serbia, is not to be found in the locally famous and tourist-promoted Obedska or Carska Bara Ramsar areas, but at Beljarica Backwaters and the fish farm triangle of Centa, Baranda and Sakule villages, in the Tamis River floodplain.

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Morning Coffee with Eastern Imperial Eagle

10,000 Birds

Actually, I am not waiting for them, but for the Eastern Imperial Eagle to come here to hunt Susliks – an eagle from one of the last two remaining nests in Serbia. Susliks are becoming rarer: they need cattle to graze and keep the grass short. No Susliks are to be seen – they are waiting for the sun.

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All my patches

10,000 Birds

Consequently, my first local patch becomes a largish Danube River floodzone opposite to Belgrade (Serbia) city centre (cover photo: April 1992). It is a winter trap for rare gulls and that is where I found the 4th Great Black-backed Gull for Serbia this winter, as well as the 6th Pallas’s Gull two winters ago.

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