Lakes, rivers and deltas of Croatia - habitats and birds

home |  mountains and inlands| lakes, rivers,  deltas |islands | birding programs | contact | links

Lakes, rivers and deltas of Croatia - habitats and birds are presented here by ornithologically significant areas, arranged according to their geographical position.

The coastal region

The Zrmanja River's mouth, with Island of Pag and northwest Dalmatia

Area description: this is the most extensive area of low marshy and sandy coastline and shoals, wide shallow bays, lagoons and protected straits in Croatian littoral. The area also includes two large salt pans (one on the Island of Pag and the other by the town of Nin on the coast), wetlands (ornithological reservations on Pag  - Velo Blato, Malo Blato and Kolansko Blato), and few river mouths, of which the largest would be the one of the Zrmanja River. Therefore, this is one of the most important Croatian wintering and stopover areas for waders, divers, Sandwich terns, sea ducks and grebes, and at present probably the only Croatian breeding site of Kentish Plover. Vast xeric grasslands of the area are the most important nesting site of Stone Curlew in Croatia.
Types of habitats on the land, that makes 50% of the total area, xeric grasslands, mosaic of xeric grasslands and shrub, Mediterranean shrub, marshlands and mosaic arable land and olive groves

position of the Zrmanja River's mouth, Island of Pag and northwest Dalmatia Island of Pag - ornithological reservation Kolansko Blato Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus

Birds:

Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Glossy Ibis, Montagu's Harrier, Black-winged Stilt, Stone Curlew, Grey Plover, Kentish Plover, Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin, Sandwich Tern, Short-toed Lark, Shag, Pygmy Cormorant, Squacco Herron, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Spoonbill, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Rock Partridge, Common Crane, Bar-tailed Godwit, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Little Gull, Common Tern, Eagle Owl, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Calandra Lark, Woodlark, Tawny Pipit, Olive-tree Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike.

Vransko Lake Nature Park  

Area description: this is the largest lake in Croatia. The lake is shallow, and therefore its entire bottom remains within reach for all waders which feed by diving. Hills to the east from the lake have areas covered with macchia. More then 20.000 waterbirds, mostly Coots. This is a nature park.
Types of habitats are Mediterranean dry grasslands, wetland and swampy habitats, olive groves, Mediterranean shrub, coniferous forests and holm oak macchia, mosaci arable fields

position of the Vransko Lake Nature Park habitat view Black-winged stilt - Himantopus himantopus Purple Herron - Ardea purpurea

Birds:

Pygmy Cormorant, Little Bittern, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Bailon's Crake, Moustached Warbler, Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Bittern, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Night Heron,  Squacco Herron, Spoonbill, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Merlin, Rock Partridge, Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Black Tern, Eagle Owl, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Short-toed Lark, Woodlark, Tawny Pipit, Bluethroat, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Gray Shrike.

Krka River National Park  

Area description: wide diversity of river habitats characterizes this national park's area - rapids with steep banks and some gravel bars, river lakes, brackish mouth. The banks are also very diverse: from gorges with numerous high and sheer cliffs, rocks and screes, to wet and dry meadows intercepted with arable land. Wetland habitats are well developed in shallow bays of Visovacko Lake an at River Gudaca's mouth. Xeric grasslands are prevailing on the plateau above the river - here dwells the largest Croatian population of Calandra Lark. The rest of the plateau is covered with sub Mediterranean forest. With its seven travertine waterfalls and a total drop of 242 meters, the Krka River is a natural karst phenomenon. Patches of reeds, lakes formed along part of the river and swamped meadows abound in amphibians and birds. The abundance of various species of birds (222), the structure of the bird communities and the great significance of the Krka for spring and autumn migrations make it among the ornithologically most valuable regions of Europe.
Types of habitats are Mediterranean dry grasslands largely overgrown with shrub, pubescent oak shrub and forests, intensively cultivated arable fields, wetland and swampy habitats, mosaic arable fields, pine groves

position of the Krka River National Park Krka River - a waterfall Short-toed Lark - Calandrela brachydactyla Calandra Lark - Melanocorypha calandra

Birds:

Rock Partridge, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Calandra Lark, Short-toed Lark, Lesser Gray Shrike, Pygmy Cormorant, Little Bittern, Bittern, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Bonelli's Eagle, Golden Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Stone Curlew (localized in the surroundings of the village Pokrovnik), Nightjar, Eagle Owl, Kingfisher, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Woodlark, Tawny Pipit, Moustached Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Ortolan.

Cetina River

Area description: The area includes the Cetina River from source to sea, as well as several adjacent karst fields: Pasko Polje, Suho Polje, Sinjsko Polje and Hrvatacko Polje. The Pasko Polje is mostly covered with wet pastures, small marshes and flooded meadows; only a small part of it in direction of the slopes of Dinara Mountain is dry. These flooded, swampy habitats are the only Croatian nesting site of Redshank. Suho Polje is covered with dry grassland (its name means exactly that: Suho means dry in Croatian, while Polje means field). Sinjsko Polje is a improved and prevailingly arable field area. Leaving the Sinjsko Polje, the Cetina River flows into a canyon with well developed rocky habitats. Hrvatacko Polje is covered with broad grasslands, both wet and dry, as well as swampy habitats with thick riparian vegetation. The Hrvatacko Polje is the Moustached Warbler's only nesting site in Croatia.  Due to the significantly negative impact of several hydro-power plants in the area, the bird population of the river habitats here is quite poor. But it is not all bad: the water reservoir of the Peruca power plant is the only  Croatian nesting site of Goosander.
Types of habitats are mosaic arable fields, Mediterranean dry grasslands, thermophilic forests and pubescent oak shrub, other forest habitats, wetland and swampy habitats position of the Cetina River River Cetina Rock Partridge - Alectoris graeca Tawny Pipit - Anthus campestris

Birds:

Goosander, Montagu's Harrier, Corncrake, Redshank, Moustached Warbler, Little Bittern, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Red-footed Falcon, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Rock Partridge, Common Crane, Stone Curlew, Eagle Owl, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Tawny Pipit, Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Gray Shrike, Ortolan.

Neretva River's mouth

Area description: This is the largest complex of wetland habitats in the Croatian littoral. The vast areas by the banks of the Neretva River and its tributaries are richly developed habitats with copious waterside vegetation (reedbeds, sedge, rush), as well as other riparian plants (both floating and submerged). The very mouth of the Neretva River combines vast lagoons, shallow sand bays, low sandy shores and shoals, and salt marshes. Reclaimed land is covered by broad arable fields with a well developed network of irrigation channels. Here dwells Croatia's largest breeding populations of Bitterns and Baillon's Crakes.
Types of habitats are Mediterranean dry grasslands, thermophilic forests and pubescent oak shrub, coniferous forests, holm oak macchia, Mediterranean shrub, wetland and swampy habitats, orchards, and other - mostly mosaic arable fields position of the Neretva River's mouth River Neretva Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia Little Egret - Egretta garzetta

Birds:

Bittern, Little Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Baillon's Crake, Oystercatcher, Kentish Plover, Moustached Warbler, Bearded Tit, Lesser Gray Shrike, Pygmy Cormorant, Night Heron, Squacco Herron, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Spoonbill, Short-toed Eagle, Hen Harrier, Merlin, Rock Partridge, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, Black Tern, Eagle Owl, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Roller, Tawny Pipit, Red-backed Shrike.

FURTHER: the inland region 

Source of data and photos: State Institute for Nature Protection, other photos by Dare Sere, Denis Cizar, Davorka Kitonic, Ivica Lolic, Zeljko Kelemen

Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional

VAL TOURS kockicabirding(at)val-tours.hr kockicaTrg hrvatskih velikana bb 23210 Biograd n/m Croatia kockicatel: +385 23 386 479 fax: +385 23 386 478 kockicaID CODE HR-AB-23-13060100423