Bird conservation news

Stork habitat under threat in Europe

The 12th conference of European Stork Villages was held in Cigoc in the district of Sisak in Croatia from 25–27 June 2015. Well over 50 representatives took up the invitation from the European Stork Village of Cigoc.

Another successful breeding season on Lake Skadar

Good news again from the Dalmatian pelicans’ breeding grounds on Lake Skadar: during their last monitoring tour in April, National Park administration staff counted 29 fledged pelican chicks.

The threat to Ulcinj Salina is still very much alive

For many species of ducks and waterbirds the Ulcinj Salina represents one of the most important resting places on their route through the Mediterranean. The precious natural heritage of Ulcinj Salina is in danger of falling prey to the interests of developers of mass tourism.

Massacre of Europa’s migratory birds

Shot down, plucked and sold on the black market. This is the fate of the hundreds of thousands of migratory birds that fall victim to bird hunting in Serbia and Romania each year. In “The Massacre of Europe’s Songbirds”, an article for the American news magazine Newsweek, Luke Dale-Harris exposes the Mafioso background to this bird massacre.

Albania still a death trap for migrating birds?

Since March 2014 there has been an absolute ban on bird hunting in Albania. Officially. But in fact masses of migrating birds are still being shot by poachers. In his article “ Killing field for Migrating Birds“ in the online magazine „Yale Environment 360“ Phil Mc Kenna reports on the the situation he saw in Albania.

Mystery Adriatic Flyway

Only a few years ago, even among experts the Western Balkans was a blank area on the map of bird migrations. But today we know that millions of birds use this route twice a year to migrate between their breeding and their wintering grounds. The film “Adriatic Flyway” is vividly and impressively depicting, what threats the migratory birds are facing on their journey, why it is so important to preserve the valuable wetlands along the Eastern Adriatic as resting grounds for cranes, ferruginous ducks and others, and why there’s every reason for hope.

See the film on vimeo

Crime Scene Adriatic Coast

The protection of the migrating birds was the central focus of the Second Adriatic Flyway Conference which took place from 1st to 3rd October in Albania. More than 70 experts from 20 countries congregated for the conference in Durres.

Dangerous journey to the wintering grounds

Millions of birds migrate along the so-called Adriatic Flyway from Central, Northern and Eastern Europe or Siberia across the Adriatic Sea to Africa. But every year the eastern Adriatic region becomes a death trap to far more than two million migratory birds.

Pelicans heading for a record

The Dalmatian pelicans of Lake Skadar National Park are providing further good news: Already 48 pelicans that hatched this year are now swimming on Lake Skadar. That’s the highest number for 37 years. It was in 1977 that a comparable breeding success was observed for the last time.

Baby boom on Lake Skadar

„For a long time, this is the most successful breeding season for Dalmatian pelicans on Lake Skadar.” This statement of joy by scientist Andrej Vizi of the Natural History Museum of Montenegro came after he and his colleagues counted 28 fledged pelican chicks during their last monitoring tour in April.