10,000 Birds

APRIL 11, 2019

Shorebirds (in Europe: waders) must be an acquired birding taste. In Europe, people start birding when they see a Common Kingfisher or a Golden Oriole , hoping to see more jewels like that, but not a Wood Sandpiper. Where to find shorebirds around Belgrade, Serbia? So far, 33 species have been eBirded in Serbia.

Serbia 152

Serbia New Jersey Europe Hunters 152

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2020

It has been a while since I wrote on where to watch birds (unbelievable, I know), and will now focus on the nature reserve of Deliblato Sands and the adjoining Labudovo okno Ramsar Wetland, about an hour east from Belgrade, Serbia. eBird list of the recorded species. the altitude of the Danube) up to 200 m / 650 ft a.s.l.

Europe 224

Europe Serbia Birds Woodpeckers 224

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2021

And, some time later, during the final stages of the bird-atlassing work, computer models of Serbian ranges for some 150 bird species were produced for the first time ever: Some bias was created because of the large data set from Belgrade and environs where the majority of active eBirders live. The consequences were amusing.

Europe 264

Europe Breeding Denmark Birds 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2023

An Englishwoman, she thought, originally, that she would stay within the British Isles, to see the five or six native species. As she notes, Eastern Europe contains significant pockets of agriculturally undeveloped land, and thus has a far greater diversity of species “from invertebrates to large carnivores” than in Northern Europe.

Barn Owls 113

Barn Owls Owls Serbia Finland 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2020

And I am in the southeast of Europe. mi2 of the Danube backwaters in Belgrade, Serbia. This is an uncommon species here – only about a dozen birds overwinter in the country annually. Out of my total of 15 observations ever, this is only the third within Serbia (the rest were half in India, the other half in Greece).

Serbia 266

Serbia Birds Ducks Cyprus 266

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. I live in the southeast of Europe, for a while lived in the south of Africa and also have extensively birded western and central India. I am talking 600 or 700+ bird species.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 24, 2015

Here is a joint media release: WWF, Decembar 11, 2015 – This December, 3,800 Pygmy Cormorants are wintering by the river Sava in Belgrade, Serbia, representing 2 percent of the global population and 5.4 “The Pygmy Cormorant is a strictly protected bird species in Serbia, as well as in the European Union.

Serbia 180

Serbia Protection Europe 2015 180

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2019

Some five years ago I was involved in a project of ecotourism evaluation of the river Danube in Serbia, which included the city of Belgrade, founded at the bank of this river. a British expat birder who was living in Belgrade, for a suggestion: “The top species is undoubtedly White-tailed Eagle. Hence, I asked my friend B.C.,

Serbia 249

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Breeding 249

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 17, 2013

While it might fall within the autumn migration, if you are in the south of Europe, it isn’t in full swing. Barn Swallows and Sand and House Martins left us in September, together with most heron species. This timing suites Britain and Netherlands well, I suppose, but Europe is somewhat larger than that.). We met at 10.00

Serbia 224

Serbia Europe Netherlands Eagles 224

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2015

Some lovely and touristy cities of Western Europe are justly proud of their cathedral Peregrines (Barcelona, Norwich, Bristol), even London (which has its charms, but is far from lovely) – why not Belgrade (isn’t proud, I mean)? Conservation Peregrine Falcon poisoning Serbia Switzerland' Yet, not a trace of a falcon.

Switzerland 192

Switzerland Serbia Feral Falcons 192

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2023

Late April / early May is the best birding season in the south of Europe and wherever you go, you will have 50% to 100% more species than in any other season. The Usual Standard – a few hours of morning birding.

India 173

India Birds Africa Serbia 173

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.

Otters 260

Otters Protest Protesting Protesters 260

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

I had just a split-second glimpse of this species – my only second ever – yet immediately knew what is it, but I was driving through a snowbound countryside and had another car behind me, therefore I stopped a good 50 metres later to eBird it. Fortunately, B. managed to see it, his largest owl ever. Am I satisfied?

Owls 105

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 105

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. The aim was to ring as many gulls as we could, to provide some reading material for birders all around Europe. Birds city birds Europe gulls Serbia' fuscus and dark as the GBBG).

Serbia 166

Serbia Birds Ukraine Europe 166

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2020

First, 800 km of driving from Belgrade through Bulgaria to very NE corner of Greece and the Dadia Forest National Park with its 36 species of diurnal raptors, out of Europe’s 38. From there to the nearby Evros River Delta, at the very border with Turkey, with more easterly species such as the Spur-winged Plover.

Greece 231

Greece Bulgaria Birds Serbia 231

10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2013

Serbia holds 13 per cent of the European breeding population of this “electrified” species which is not only Endangered in Europe but also listed as Globally Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Conservation Europe falcons Serbia' We were searching for the territories of Saker Falcons.

Falcons 222

Falcons Serbia 2007 Europe 222

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 In that first year, about 95 bird species were recorded here, not to mention the Otter, listed as the Near Threatened species in the IUCN Red List.

Otters 175

Otters Serbia Fish Mammals 175

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2013

Against the European regulation, the Northern Goshawk is a huntable species in Serbia, which is used as an excuse to indiscriminately shoot all medium-sized raptors (especially buzzards) because they are all colloquially called “goshawks”. Here it is a strictly wintering species, and the first individual I have seen this winter.

Serbia 212

Serbia Hoarding Europe Woodpeckers 212

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2013

Hence, in land-locked Serbia, it has been recorded only three times: in 1857, one was shot at the Morava River; in 1993, one was observed by a bird photographer Rastko Aleksandrov at the Centa fish farm, north of Belgrade; and in 2012, a team of Croat and Serbian ornithologists found one at the Belgrade city rubbish dump.

Serbia 186

Serbia Croatia Hungary 2012 186

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2014

These days I am busy with something called the “avitourism product“ of Belgrade, Serbia. Defining Belgrade bird specialties is the hard part – there is no defined criterion, beside attractiveness which often comes from how uncommon some species is. Pygmy Cormorant – winter (it breeds in Serbia, but overwinters in Belgrade).

Serbia 175

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 175

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

I observed this species in the Little Rann of Kutch in India and since then, have been burning with desire to see them back home. Back in November, one group of British birders visited Serbia and, as one of them later wrote in his blog, their local guide promised them the GGS – “That one is guaranteed“, the guide declared. ‘He

Serbia 238

Serbia Owls Rodents Eagles 238

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2014

While there are some two dozen birding spots in Belgrade, Serbia, that stand out, in this guideblog I will focus on the river Danube and its floodplain, inside the Important Bird Area “Confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers”. In comparison to the Dorcol Promenade, number of both species and individuals here is smaller.

Serbia 232

Serbia Birds Ducks Eagles 232

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2014

Avala, some 10 miles south of Belgrade, Serbia. Avala is a low, gentle sloping, wooded mountain (oak, hornbeam and maple; beech at higher elevation), barely over 500 metres high, inhabited by six woodpecker species – Great , Middle and Little Spotted , Green , Gray-headed (rare) and Black (about two pairs). at the very top of Mt.

Serbia 211

Serbia Woodpeckers Europe Blackbirds 211

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). With about 110 recorded species, the Kozara becomes truly magical place when the Danube swells and reclaims what is rightfully his. Kozara backwaters. The Ada Huja riverbank.

Serbia 240

Serbia Stray Dog Protection Botswana 240

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.

Serbia 192

Serbia Protection Legislation Europe 192

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

The majority are clearly Mallards , followed by Garganeys , with one and possibly more Green-winged Teals , also Ferruginous Ducks … Surprises among them are one Common Shelduck , a species that most likely breeds some 15 mi from here (and my first shelduck of the year) and an even greater surprise: two Eurasian Wigeons.

Serbia 165

Serbia Protection Eagles Ducks 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2019

The other day I counted my favourite section of the Danube River, the wide and shallow Labudovo okno Ramsar site in Serbia. The biggest count ever was less than 10 birds in the whole of Serbia. Here in Serbia, in the south of the continent, this species is a proper rarity. And this one chose to fly right in front of us.

Geese 143

Geese Serbia Birds Estonia 143

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2016

Here go those moments of curiosity, in no particular order: Europe: And so, I was driving from Greece to Serbia… in central FYRO Macedonia, two birds were circling not far from the motorway… black and white… perhaps White Storks on migration? Europe: The sun is scorching the area, and the birds are nowhere to be seen.

Wildlife 177

Wildlife Tigers Asia Europe 177

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2018

Checking my annual list, I am where I usually am at this time of year: several species short of 200. Still, this way or another, the year is ending with some glorious species, e.g. a rare Greater Spotted Eagle. Usually only several birds overwinter in Serbia – the biggest count ever was less than 10. The search is on.

Moldova 118

Moldova Birds Serbia Greece 118

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2015

Zlatar in western Serbia, heading towards the town of Sjenica and, behind it, the bridge on the River Vapa. This is my first visit to this area, known as the Madz Brod, where two new breeding species for the country were discovered a decade ago. As we go lower, from glorious sunshine, we enter the morning fog. Still, we are lucky.

Europe 247

Europe Serbia Russia Breeding 247

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2015

I have asked myself that same question many times over the last six months, until last week, when I was involved in an opening ceremony of five new bird hides at the Palic Lake, by the town of Subotica in the very north of Serbia, along the border with Hungary (all photos are from that area).

Serbia 242

Serbia Birds Spain Hungary 242

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

And I had a friend working in the museum, who put me in touch with their birds curator (with whom I recently birded the Griffon Vulture gorges of western Serbia) and who answered all my questions at the time. Not a field guide for Europe, that is for sure, but which one? Bird census techniques” by Colin J.

Serbia 189

Serbia Bosnia Research Lions 189

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

Iron Gates (Djerdap) national park, Serbia. Other species are there, too, but impossible to see. This one is most likely my latest swift in Serbia ever. Small canyon among wooded hills. Framed by red Permian sandstone, Eric Hyman is staring into the bare branches of a dead tree, or, to be more precise, into some fluttering t**s.

Serbia 258

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Bears 258

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2017

With its 920 species, Costa Rica has 2.6 times more birds than my native Serbia and about 1.5 times more than Europe (when the vagrants are excluded). Instead of focusing on the endemic and otherwise emblematic species, I looked to the eBird asking which target species should I expect in October. to great birding.

Costa Rica 178

Costa Rica San Jose Serbia Europe 178

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

With binoculars around my neck, I am leaving home, wondering which will be the first species on my year list. By contrast, the wild Rock Pigeon, Columba livia livia , is an ill-numbered species that I have seen only a few times, in mountain gorges or Mediterranean islands, further away from villages. New Year’s Day 2014.

Feral 255

Feral Meat Species Serbia 255

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2016

After the Common Starling , my second bird of the morning becomes the largest eagle of Europe, the White-tailed Eagle , this one with a fairly white tail, yet still dark beak, that I estimate to be in its 3rd calendar year. Looking miserable with its feathers soaked, one yellow and blue European Bee-eater sits on a dead branch.

Serbia 127

Serbia Sheep Birds Eagles 127

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.

Serbia 186

Serbia Turtles Birds Eagles 186