The birds of the middle Dalmatia

The historical province of Dalmatia, former Roman province is situated in the south part of the Republic of Croatia. Nowadays there are old ancient civilizations tracks, the mediaeval remains and the cities of the renaissance, all monuments of culture of the world value.

The middle Dalmatia spreads out from the high mountains in the hinterland across the sea shore all to the picturesque islands in the Adriatic sea.

This entire territory is a natural and historical whole where people's life has been conformed to the conditions of the environment for thousands of years,but it influenced the natural environment as well.

The nature in the middle Dalmatia is very diverse.There are high monutains,fields,deep river canyons, coastal marshes, flooded meadows and distant open-sea islands. Therefore the diversity of the bird world is very big in the middle Dalmatia. We can find typical Mediterranean endems, wetland birds, high mountain species and many others.

The middle Dalmatia is very important winter quarter as well, and it is also a migration station of many birds from the middle and north Europe.

The river Cetina

The river Cetina is one hundred kilometers long river in the middle Dalmatia. Large flooded meadows are still preserved in its upper stream. During the high water level you can find a great number of wetland birds which spend winter there or migrate over it. During the low waters, when the meadows are dry, different species nest in this area like Corncrake, Redshank (the only nesting place in Croatia), Stone Curlew and wagtails. This region has been proclaimed "Important Bird Area" by BirdLife International.

Farther downstream we can find a big artificial lake Peruća, a winter quarter of wetland birds, too.

The central part of the stream of the Cetina river passes by the plain, where, among others, we can find the colonies of Bee-Eaters, too.

Lower stream passes through the magnificient canyon where Short-toed Eagles, Peregrines, Eagle Owls, Crag Martins (the only species of swallow which spends winter in Europe), Ravens and many others nest.

Around the mouth of the river we can find smaller marsh areas with reeds. There are also Great Reed Warblers, Moustached Warblers and Cetti's Warblers.

Mountains

The mountains of middle Dalmatia are up to 1800 metres high and here you can find some typical high mountain species. Besides Golden Eagles and other birds of prey, there are Shore Lark, Black-eared Wheatear, Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Subalpine Warbler, Alpine Accentor, Sombre Tit, Rock Nuthatch, Wallcreeper and Alpine Chough.

Islands and the coast

Some islands, for example Brač, are relatively big and high. There are coniferous forests, sheer rocks, canyons and plateaus, therefore the bird world is similar to that one on the land. There are some typical Mediterranean species in the lower area, just like on the neighbouring land. There we can find Rock Patridge, Sardinian Warbler and Black-headed Bunting.

Other islands have explicit open sea character, with some specific species like Cory's Shearwater, Yelkouan Shearwater, Shag, Eleonora's Falcon, Yellow-legged Gull, Audouin’s Gull, Alpine Swift and Pallid Swift.

Small open sea archipelago Palagruža is a "bottle neck" for great number of species which migrate from entire Europe.

Pantan marsh

The Pantan marsh is a typical Mediterranean marsh with reed, brackish lagoon, short river and gravel dune which closes the lagoon. Pantan is situated by the very sea shore, near the old historical town of Trogir. Although relatively small, the Pantan is a home for even 196 bird species registered so far, and therefore it is proclaimed as a special reserve. It is of great importance to point out here several species of herons and egrets, waders, ducks and sometimes Black-winged Stilts, Spoonbills, Pigmy Cormorants, Black Terns and White-winged Black Terns, too.

Besides these mentioned species in the middle Dalmatia we can find many other species, among which we must specially point out Kentish Plover, Marsh Harrier, Scops Owl, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Short –toed Lark, Red-rumped Swallow, Lesser Grey, Red-backed and Woodchat Shrike, Water Pipit, Olive Tree and Orphean Warbler, Penduline Tit, Golden Oriole, Spanish Sparrow, Serin and many many others.