10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2021

Also, it is a part of the international ecological corridor and the “Confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers” Important Bird Area (IBA), already proposed for a nature reserve by the Government’s Institute for the Protection of Nature of Serbia. White-tailed Eagles in Beljarica. Young Roe Deer buck in Beljarica.

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Serbia Boars Deer Otters 274

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2018

Our destination lies further west, along the Drina River, which marks the border between Serbia and Bosnia. Due to mass wolf poisonings in the 1960s and the 1970s, Griffon Vultures in Serbia suffered a dramatic population crash. Povlen, a quick stop filled with a song that sounds familiar, but I haven’t heard it since last year.

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Serbia Herzegovina Bosnia Sheep 105

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2018

We were heading to the Djerdap (Iron Gates) Gorge National Park, stretching along the south bank of the Danube in eastern Serbia, to do the 400 km / 250 mi bird tour interconnecting possibly the very best sites around Belgrade reachable within a day. Michael’s summer birding along the Danube in Serbia appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

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Serbia Woodpeckers Bears Birds 118

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Last month, I birded my favourite local patch, Beljarica – the best eBird hotspot in Belgrade city and the 3rd best in Serbia – four times. but because this large spillway protects the city from flooding. Photo: VICE. Photo: Gordan Pomorisac. And I felt… relieved?

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Serbia Boars Otters Birds 266

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 24, 2015

Worried by the lack of appropriate action by the authorities (as described in the previous post ), this year I invited two more wildlife protection organisations to take part in the annual census of Pygmy Cormorants in Belgrade. “The Pygmy Cormorant is a strictly protected bird species in Serbia, as well as in the European Union.

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Serbia Protection Europe 2007 180

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2020

Part of the Labudovo okno Ramsar Wetland and protected within the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve , this section of the Danube, downriver from Belgrade, Serbia, is unique for its wide shallows, before the river narrows downstream from the village of Ram.

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Mali Serbia Eagles Turtles 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Wigeons are only migrants and not a breeding species in Serbia and August is a bit too early for any longer distance duck movements. Among them are 3 to 4 breeding pairs of White-tailed Eagles, the largest density per square mile anywhere in Serbia. Only two years ago, in the spring 2014, Serbia had catastrophic floods.

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Serbia Eagles Protection Boars 164

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2014

The night temperatures in Belgrade, Serbia, were already below minus 10 Celsius / 14 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks. Up to the mid-20th century, Pygmy Cormorants were a common breeding species of wetlands around Belgrade… until the wetlands were drained and the birds were lost, at one moment – from the whole of Serbia.

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Serbia Legislation Protection Europe 191

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2021

Not just mine, but all the most active birders of Belgrade, Serbia, were visiting this site at least 2-3 times a month: it is so conveniently close to the city, and even reachable by the city bus 108. Reva Pond was my favourite local patch until, a few years back, construction works started there.

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Otters Protest Protesters Protesting 260

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2023

Why should something so unimaginable in Germany be possible in Serbia? Ecka Fish Farm by Mileta Cekovic Soon we reached the Ecka Fish Farm, a part of the wider Carska Bara Important Bird Area (yet, not a part of the protected Carska Bara Reserve). Protest indeed!

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Protest Protesters Protesting Germany 174

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2015

I am parked at the bridge over the Reva Pond in the suburb of Belgrade, Serbia, mere 150 metres away from the nearest buildings behind me, but facing the fascinating undeveloped 1.2 The Reva is not protected. Birding Europe Mammals otters Serbia' kilometres / 0.7 miles towards the Danube River ahead of me.

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Otters Serbia Fish Mammals 175

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2019

The next specialty was the Great Bustard at the Pastures of Great Bustard Nature Reserve in the north of Serbia: “The Association for the Protection of the Great Bustard had just about enough counters to cover the reserve and the neighbouring areas (birds often spend the winter in arable fields outside the reserve).

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2018 Serbia Greece Falcons 117

10,000 Birds

MARCH 26, 2020

LABUDOVO OKNO Ramsar Site and an Important Bird Area represents a section of the Danube floodplain downriver from Belgrade, Serbia, and situated in the south of the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve. Dubovacki Rit (Dubovac Wetland) is a part of the Labudovo okno Ramsar Wetland and protected within the Deliblato Sands Reserve.

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Turtles 2002 Serbia Eagles 167

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2014

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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Serbia Stray Dog Botswana Protection 239

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2015

The city of Belgrade, Serbia, has about 1.7 Less than two years ago, I wrote here how I found the 4th GBBG for Serbia. Organisations involved in the research: Bird Study and Protection Society of Serbia, League for Ornithological Action and the Birds of Prey Protection Fund. Birds city birds Europe gulls Serbia'

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Serbia Ukraine Europe Birds 166

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2017

While Serbia claims to strive towards the EU membership, it is back to the Chinese credit and Chinese environmental standards. And there is only one certain way to protect the lower parts of the city from floods: let the river spread and flood some other area, before it reaches the city. And, with it, its otters, eagles and storks.

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Eagles Campaign Otters Serbia 164

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2018

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. Not the strictly protected bustards, but Red Foxes, Brown Hares, Pheasants , as well as Hooded Crows and Rooks. m–8 ft 10 in).

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Serbia Romania Hungary Hunting 104

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

I used to live in Botswana, where there are about 450 bird species in an area a few dozen miles from the capital; then somewhat naively moved back to Serbia with mere 250 species around the capital. So, the perfect country to move to needs to have at least twice as many species as Serbia. And it shows.

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Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2021

Clearly, European Breeding Bird Atlas 2 is primarily intended for scientists and policy makers to protect and save these species, but how about an ordinary birder? Many species have moved their ranges northward by an average of 28 km / 17.4 mi (ca 1 km per year) in response to the climate changes.

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Europe Denmark Breeding Russia 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

The world record holder is the town of Kikinda, further north, with 700 birds in their town square which has recently become an officially protected owl habitat – a small, urban nature reserve. Birding city birds Europe owls Serbia' And the citizens of Kikinda are justly proud of it. Long-eared Owls are irresistibly cute.

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Serbia Owls Rodents India 237

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2018

As you know, I started to bird from a canoe, exploring the Danube backwaters in Belgrade, Serbia. Nowadays this species is declining in Serbia and the biggest number I ever saw at once was 6 and that area most likely has the highest population density – 3 pairs – anywhere in the country.

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Beavers Serbia Hungary Eagles 118

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2015

Still, six years ago I nominated that central Belgrade zone for an Important Bird Area – some parts of it should become protected any time soon and all the data that can further strengthen that protection is welcome. Birding eBird Serbia spring' Just a few more days… Cover photo: Northern Lapwing (c) Snezana Panjkovic.

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Serbia ALA Protection Collecting 209

10,000 Birds

JULY 29, 2021

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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Farming Fish Boars Birds 264

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 22, 2018

Have you heard of a small town in Serbia graced by the presence of its 700 communally roosting Long-eared Owls ? Rightfully, this town centre doubles as a nature reserve – an officially protected owl habitat. Actually, the numbers are even higher. The best decorated single tree had 145 owls in its crown.

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Owls Protesting Protesters Protest 230

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

No, I took a paddle and discovered the Danube backwaters (cover photo: 1995), the very same area I am fighting to protect now, but the Government, it seems, has an interested investor… Seeing the most valuable habitats disappearing in front of our eyes, environmentalists are quite prone to depression, but that is another story.

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Serbia Bosnia Lions Horses 189

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Oddly, in 1936 this mountain was declared a national park, the first in Serbia, but in 1946 it was stripped of its title and got a lower protection status, further confirmed in 2007. Arctic Loon), Lesser Black-backed Gull , Middle Spotted Woodpecker and Goldcrest should easily make 190, although the pecker is a bit uncertain.

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Woodpeckers Serbia 2007 Ducks 241

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

And used the opportunity to send an open letter to the City Mayor, enquiring about his still-unfulfilled promise of this particular area finally becoming protected. I usually forget about the World Wetland Day, 2nd of February, but this year I remembered.

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Otters Croatia Eagles Protection 256

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2014

Even among the protected areas of Serbia, the Iron Gates National Park (in Serbian: Djerdap) stands out as better preserved. Serbia, the Bradt Travel Guide by Laurence Mitchell, 4th edition, 2013 (offers extensive coverage of birding sites by yours truly). Trips birdfinder Europe Serbia' Milovanovic and M.

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Serbia Turtles Romania Eagles 186

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2013

During my lifetime, this species was rare in my native Serbia, too. In 2010, a joint expedition by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) and the Sudanese Wildlife Society (SWS) found a further 17 electrocuted Egyptian Vultures. Up to now there have been almost 80 confirmed electrocuted Egyptian Vultures in that area.

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Sudan Macedonia Botswana Serbia 223

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2016

The gamekeeper drives by, I wave my greetings but do not mention the jackals I am observing at the moment: this animal is not protected in Serbia and is allowed for killing year-round (one may say “hunting” instead, but I am having problems trying to spot the difference).

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Sheep Serbia Eagles Mammals 127

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2017

Yet, I was there with journalists every other day, the site was in the media almost every day and the first effect of the Save the Belgrade Amazon campaign is now visible: quite unusual for Serbia, the rules are strictly applied. Basically, I managed to cut myself off my favourite birding area.

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Rights Serbia Abandon Abandoning 115

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2017

Beside several well-showing Red-backed Shrikes , the highlight was one uncommon Lesser Grey Shrike (highly localized ** , with only 700 to 1000 breeding pairs in Serbia). Not a falcon, but a female Eurasian Sparrowhawk , drying its soaked feathers after the rain that was falling while we were protected by the trees.

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Romania Serbia Turtles Blackbirds 118

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2016

I know that you believe that Serbia is a land-locked country, but Belgrade city was actually built on an island in the sea. The next tract of rolling sand dunes grassland is to be found at the eastern edge of the Sands, in the recently protected Karas-Nera nature reserve (cover photo). But first, where did all that sand came from?

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Sheep Turtles Squirrels Europe 121

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2017

A narrow bluff-top buffer zone is also protected. They are declining in Serbia and in these lowlands, they are nowadays commonly spotted only on migration, but have mostly retreated from the plains (except some steppe pastures) and in the breeding season are common in the mountains above the upper forest line.

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Serbia Breeding Feral Woodpeckers 116

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2016

The proposal was accepted and the new Confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers IBA was recognised: Fourth: Try to protect as much of it. The tricky part of the IBA process is trying to protect it. Protected areas and those officially proposed for protection: Fifth: Stay alerted.

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Protection Eagles Jamaica Farming 118

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

A range of hills protects the cove from the eastern wind, yet, the bushes are swaying in the rythm of it. As air carriers, to Athens and back from Syros to Athens I used the Aegean Airlines and later, from Thessaloniki, Air Serbia. Still, we are sailing out of the marina soon and I should have some coffee before that.

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Greece Malta Croatia Italy 231

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2017

Status: Proposed for protection , but threatened by plans for a large scale development. Status: Veliko Ratno Island is a protected nature reserve, while Kozara is proposed for protection. +. km / 3 mi of asphalt road before one reaches the embankment). The sixth area doesn’t quite reach the 100 birds mark on its own.

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Birds Eagles 2017 Otters 203