The joy of Croatia birdwatching
Welcome to Croatia, an emerging birding destination!
Croatia as a tourist destination is well known for its coastal summer holiday resorts, with many popular attractions such as visits to historical and cultural sites, boating, diving or just relaxing, but many of these resorts are also close to a number of excellent bird watching areas.
Birdwatching
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Here you can learn about birding in Croatia, read descriptions of the various Croatian habitats, discover reasons to bird in Croatia and be introduced to local birding programs.
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Departures in:
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Since Croatia extends over the central European migration corridor, and partially over the western one, heavy migrations (especially of birds of prey) take place during spring and autumn in much of the coastal region. The coast is also an important wintering.
In Croatia's rich avifauna we may find almost all of the categories: mountain, lowland, boreal, wetland and marine; it also includes 69 bird species classed as threatened on the European level, as well as 21 globally threatened.
The importance of nature conservation is recognized in Croatia. There are eight national parks, eleven nature parks, many reserves, and as much as 23 IBA-s in Croatia. Many ornithologically significant localities are designated and there are 20 ornithological reserves and four wetland sites that are on the list of the Ramsar Convention. This means that approximately 10% of the country in under protection.
Griffon vultures, White storks, Dalmatian Pelican, Imperial Eagle, Little Grebe, Great Bittern, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis and Eurasian Spoonbill should all be on your checklist.
Where to bird?
Area description:
Nature park Ucka is above all characterized by exceptional diversity on a limited surface. Ucka is one of the last European localities where a patient eye of the observer will be reworded by the impressive silhouettes of Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) or Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). These two are prominent representatives of the Ucka ornitofauna along with 70 other so far recorded nest birds. There are also many other birds that occasionally visit Ucka.
Every year, an ornithological camp is organized near Rovozna puddle, on the south part of Ucka, only 30 – 45 minutes from Opatija. This is an ideal chance for all bird lovers to expand their knowledge and get acquainted with other bird lovers.
Birds:
Blackcap, Robin, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Crested Tit, Rock Bunting, Crossbill, Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, Asian Chiffchaff, mountain owl, Red-breasted Flycatcher.
Excursions with specialized guides can be organized on your request to any of the locations. Just fill out the enquiry form and we’ll get back to you ASAP. Area of west
Area description:
the area includes large North Adriatic islands (Cres, Krk and Rab) and smaller islands in their vicinity. The numerous cliffs are the nesting area of the last population of Griffon Vultures in Croatia. Many other species are breeding here as well, such as Shags, Peregrine Falcons, Eagle Owls and other birds of pray. For these species, the vast open and mixed habitats (as are, for instance, the rocky meadows) are very important. This area has also spacious forests and shrubs of several Mediterranean types. This is a significant wintering area of Sandwich Tern. There are three ornithological reservations on the island of Cres, and one on the Island of Krk. Nature Protection Research and Education Center "Eco Center Caput Insulae" operates in Beli on Cres, with protection of Griffon Vultures as one of their main goals.
Types of habitats on the land, that makes 29% of the total area, Mediterranean dry grasslands, Mediterranean shrub, pubescent oak forest and shrub, holm oak macchia and forest, newly planted conifers and other habitats
Birds:
Shag, Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Stone Curlew, Sandwich Tern, Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Honey Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle, Rock Partridge, Common Tern, Eagle Owl, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Short-toed Lark, Woodlark, Tawny Pipit, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Gray Shrike, Ortolan.
Excursions with specialized guides can be organized on your request to any of the locations. Just fill out the enquiry form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Area description:
shallow sea with many bays is suitable for seabirds that feed on fish. The parts of the coast with precipitous cliffs and islets, as in National Park Brijuni, are the breeding area of Shags. This is the only part of Croatian littoral, where Kingfishers breed on eroded earthen steeps above the sea.
Types of habitats on the land, that make only 1% of the total area, are holm oak macchia and forest, sub Mediterranean thermophilic forests and pubescent oak shrub, Mediterranean dry grasslands and other habitats, mostly mosaic arable fields
Birds:
Shag, Sandwich Tern, Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Common Tern, Kingfisher
Excursions with specialized guides can be organized on your request to any of the locations. Just fill out the enquiry form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Area description:
this is the widest Croatian mountain range, and a nature park, the largest in Croatia. All types of forest, open, rocky and mixed habitats are present here. However, majority of the species which make this area important inhabit the forests; in particular, mixed fir and beech forests in the north (in the Northern Velebit National Park) and beech forests in the south. The spruce forests, as well as black pine and hop hornbeam forests, are of the same importance. Rocky habitats with exposed cliffs are prevailing in Velika and Mala Paklenica (Paklenica National Park).
Types of habitats are forests (alpine, birch and mixed fir and birch), sub Mediterranean thermophilic forests and pubescent oakshrub, Mediterranean dry grasslands, mesophile grasslands and highland grasslands, rocky and mosaic habitats of arable and abandoned fields position of the Velebit Mountain range Velebit Mountain view Rock Partridge - Alectoris graeca Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus
Birds:
One of the most important breeding areas for Capercaillie, Pygmy and Tengmalm’s Owl, White backed Woodpecker and Ortolan Bunting in Croatia. Other interesting species here are Rock Partridge, Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Sardinian Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Alpine Accentor, Lesser Grey Shrike, Woidchat Shrike, Black-headed Bunting, Cirl Bunting, Short-toed Eagle, Scops Owl, Eagle Owl, Alpine Swift, House Martin, Water Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Black-eared Wheatear, Rock Bunting.
Excursions with specialized guides can be organized on your request to any of the locations. Just fill out the enquiry form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
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
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.
Excursions with specialized guides can be organized on your request to any of the locations. Just fill out the enquiry form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Croatia Bird watching tours
Time period:
17.04.-24.04.2010
24.04.-01.05.2010
16.04.-23.04.2011
23.04.-30.04.2011
Price per person: 890,00 EUR
The price includes:
* 7 nights in double rooms in a three-star hotel (3 nights in Biograd na moru, 4 nights in Trogir)
* 3 meals per day (breakfast and dinner in the hotel, take-out lunch)
* arrival/departure transfer from/to Split or Zadar airport, ferry-port, or bus station
* local taxes
* transfer to the locations
* entrance fees to all nature and national parks
* professional ornithologist guide
Maximum number of participants: 8 per group - larger groups on request
Minimum number of participants: 4 per group
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Saturday - arrival to the Zadar or Split airport, transfer to a tri-star hotel in Biograd na moru
Day 2 - Sunday - Island of Pag, wetland and swampy habitats
Day 3 - Monday - swampy habitat with flooded meadows and reeds of the Vrana Lake Nature Park
Day 4 - Tuesday - Krka River National Park; in the afternoon, transfer from the lodging in Biograd na moru to the second lodging in Trogir
Day 5 - Wednesday - Trogir area - xeric rocky area with cliffs
Day 6 - Thursday - Cetina River from its spring to its mouth - variety of habitats
Day 7 - Friday - Biokovo Mountain rocky habitat with cliffs - the mountain raises directly from the sea
Day 8 - Saturday - departure
Orphean Warbler, Short-toed Lark, Calandra Lark, Stone Curlew, Rock Partridge, Rock Nuthach, Black-eared Wheatear, Crag Martin, Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Pallid & Alpine Swifts, Short-toed Eagle, Pygmy Cormorant, Black-winged Stilt, Scops Owl, Spanish Sparrow, Sardinian Warbler...
Fill out the booking form now!
Time period:
01.05.-08.05.2010
08.05.-15.05.2010
30.04.-07.05.2011
07.05.-14.05.2011
Price per person: 790,00 EUR
The price includes:
* 7 nights in double rooms in a three-star hotel in Biograd na moru
* 3 meals per day (breakfast and dinner in the hotel, take-out lunch)
* arrival/departure transfer from/to Split or Zadar airport, ferry-port, or bus station.
* local taxes
* transfer to the locations
* entrance fees in all nature and national parks
* professional ornithologist guide
Maximum number of participants: 8 per group. Larger groups on request.
Minimum number of participants: 4 per group.
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Saturday - arrival to the Zadar or Split airport, transfer to a tri-star hotel in Biograd na moru
Day 2 - Sunday - picturesque canyons and cliffs of the Zrmanja River
Day 3 - Monday - rocky habitats and exposed cliffs of the National Park Paklenica
Day 4 - Tuesday - ornithological reservations Velo and Kolansko Blato of the Island of Pag wetland and swampy habitats
Day 5 - Wednesday - area of Ljubac, Ravni Kotari open habitats
Day 6 - Thursday - forest, open, rocky and mixed habitats of the Nature Park Velebit
Day 7 - Friday - swampy habitat with flooded meadows and reeds of the Vrana Lake Nature Park
Day 8 - Saturday - departure
Pygmy Cormorant, Short-toed Eagle, Stone Curlew, Woodchat Shrike, Black-headed Bunting, Rock Partridge, Sombre Tit, Blue Rock Thrush, Short-toed Lark, European Bee-eater, Pallid Swift, Rock Nuthach...
Fill out the booking form now.
Weekend birdwatching break: Olive-tree Warbler Weekend - any weekend from May 14th to June 15th, visiting Trogir Area and Cetina River, accommodation in Trogir
Time period:
04.09.-11.09.2010
11.09.-18.09.2010
03.09.-10.09.2011
10.09.-17.09.2011
Price per person: 790,00 EUR
The price includes:
* 7 nights in double rooms in a three-star hotel in Biograd na moru
* 3 meals per day (breakfast and dinner in the hotel, take-out lunch)
* arrival/departure transfer from/to Split or Zadar airport, ferry-port, or bus station.
* local taxes
* transfer to the locations
* entrance fees in all nature and national parks
* professional ornithologist guide
Maximum number of participants: 8 per group. Larger groups on request.
Minimum number of participants: 4 per group.
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Saturday - arrival to the Zadar or Split airport, transfer to a tri-star hotel in Biograd na moru
Day 2 - Sunday - picturesque canyons and cliffs of the Zrmanja River
Day 3 - Monday - rocky habitats and exposed cliffs of the National Park Paklenica
Day 4 - Tuesday - ornithological reservations Velo and Kolansko Blato of the Island of Pag wetland and swampy habitats
Day 5 - Wednesday - area of Ljubac, Ravni Kotari open habitats
Day 6 - Thursday - forest, open, rocky and mixed habitats of the Nature Park Velebit
Day 7 - Friday - swampy habitat with flooded meadows and reeds of the Vrana Lake Nature Park
Day 8 - Saturday – departure
Pygmy Cormorant, Short-toed Eagle, Stone Curlew, Woodchat Shrike, Black-headed Bunting, Rock Partridge, Fan-tailed Warbler, Sombre Tit, Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, European Bee-eater, Pallid Swift, Rock Nuthach, Spanish Sparrow...
Fill out the booking form now.
Enjoy birding in Croatia...
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