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 108

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 Birds Bears 120

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 Birds Boars Otters 280

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 2015 186

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 Birds 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.

Serbia 175

Serbia Protection Eagles Ducks 175

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 Protection Legislation Europe 199

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 Protesting Protesters Germany 188

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 263

Otters Protest Protesting Protesters 263

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 182

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 Falcons Greece 118

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 175

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.

Serbia 244

Serbia Stray Dog Protection Botswana 244

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 Birds Ukraine Europe 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 175

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 105

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

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 Eagles 243

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.

Serbia 221

Serbia ALA Protection Collecting 221

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 Eagles Hungary 125

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 Breeding Denmark Birds 264

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 262

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 Species 249

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 Research Lions 189

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 195

Serbia Turtles Birds Eagles 195

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.

Sudan 234

Sudan Macedonia Botswana Serbia 234

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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Serbia Sheep Birds Eagles 136

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 Collecting Abandon 120

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

“I would certainly recommend Serbia to visiting birders. Nonetheless, I visited some excellent habitats, especially the flooded wetlands, and saw some good birds,” wrote the UK Birdwatch Magazine journalist Mike Unwin of his bird tour of northern Serbia 15 years ago. What has changed in the meantime?

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Serbia Birds Bulgaria Farming 166

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 125

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.

Serbia 122

Serbia Breeding Woodpeckers Feral 122

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 Birds 241

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

My best bird of the weekend was a Great Black-backed Gull , a rarity in a land-locked Serbia, with less than 10 observations so far. It works well with the naked scope, but over time, I dressed mine into a protective sleeve, which somewhat restricts the finger movements (but not much).

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Greece Battery Experience Experiments 168

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

The potential for contagion through clicking on links has long been acknowledged and with a desire to protect our precious readers, the links have been discontinued. 7 beats contributed their sightings from 7 countries (Hong Kong, UK, China, USA, Serbia, Australia and, of course, Costa Rica).

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2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 154

10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2021

The White-tailed Eagle is one of the easiest birds to observe in Belgrade, Serbia (almost guaranteed). But WT Eagles lay eggs in late January or, if it is too cold, in early February, and no breeding pair can afford to pose together afterwards, because one bird must protect the eggs or chicks from elements or predators at all times.

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Eagles Bald Eagle Eggs Serbia 264

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 Birds Fish Boars 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2016

For example, I simply cannot comprehend how such seemingly common species such as the Common Pochard (yes, for the third time, the common), still allowed for shooting in Serbia and many other countries, found its way into the Red List of Threatened Species. There are many reasons for their decrease and yet, all of them (but one?)

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Serbia Greece Montenegro Bulgaria 203