Bird watching in Croatian national and nature parks
Croatia is, being a continental mountainous and Mediterranean country, rich in various species of birds. Many of these species are today rare and endangered in Europe.
For the birders, highly interesting would be the coastal area, where different Mediterranean varieties are to be spotted. As Croatia is stretching over the central and partially west-European migration corridors, in the spring and in the fall intensive migrations, especially of raptors, take place in the most of the coastal habitats. The coast is also an important wintering area for a large number of species.
The protected areas of the coast are of special interest, such as the Nature Park Velebit, Nature Park Vransko Lake, National Park Paklenica, ornithological reserve Velo and Kolansko blato on the island of Pag, and the territory of the river Zrmanja, therefore we have chosen exactly these areas for this particular program here presented.
Off course, shorter trips, visits to alternative Croatian birding destinations and generally tailor-made tours are available by request.
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Details |
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Price Includes |
(MR-10174-P) |
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7 nights in double rooms in a tri-star hote |
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Full board (breakfast and dinner in the hotel, take-out lunch) |
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Arrival/departure transfer from/to Split or Zadar airport, ferry-port, or bus station. |
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Local taxes |
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Transfer to the locations |
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Entrance tickets in all nature and national parks |
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Guide; assistance |
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Suitability / Level |
Easy |
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Theme |
Small Group Travel
(Click to Search All) |
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Max Group Size |
8 |
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Itinerary
& Highlights |
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Day 1 - Saturday - arrival in the hotel, introductory drink with your guide
Day 2 - Sunday - birding in the picturesque canyons and cliffs of the Zrmanja river - interesting species: Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer), Raven (Corvus corax), Sombre Tit (Parus lugubris), Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans), Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis), Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica melanoleuca), Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala),etc.
Day 3 - Monday - birding in the mountainous National Park Paklenica - characteristic species: Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca), Hopoe (Upupa epops), Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala), Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica), Alpine Swift (Apus melba), Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Sombre Tit (Parus lugubris), Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer), Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus), Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia)
Day 4 - Tuesday - birding in the ornithological reservations Velo and Kolansko blato of the island of Pag - expected species: Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), Black winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), Gadwall (Anas strepera), Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides), Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus), Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla), Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris), Curlew (Numenius arquata).
Day 5 - Wednesday - birding in the area of Ljubac, Ravni kotari - a lowland area between the mountain of Velebit and the Adriatic sea - prevailing Mediterranean species: Bee-eater (Merops apiaster), Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis), Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Curlew Sandpieper (Calidris ferruginea), Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cachinnans michahellis), etc.
Day 6 - Thursday - birding in the forest, open, rocky and mixed habitats of the Nature Park Velebit. The influence of the Mediterranean is present here up to 950m high, with the following most interesting species: Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris), Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis), Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica melanoleuca), Wheater (Oenanthe oenanthe), Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia), Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana), etc.
Day 7 - Friday - birding in the swampy habitat with flooded meadows and reeds of the Vrana lake Nature Park. Expected species: Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), Little Crake (Porzana parva), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti), Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus), Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis), Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon), Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala). -
Day 8 - Saturday - departure.
Departure to the sites every day around 7:00 AM, return to the hotel around 6:00 PM. All participant should bring their own gear and equipment. All locations in our program are easily accessible from your base accommodation, within cca 100 km.
Mr. Crnkovic, your guide, is a known connoisseur; he is actively involved in ringing, a custodian of the oological collection of the Institute of Ornithology of Croatian Academy of sciences and arts, a Croatian representative by the birds section of MEDMARAVIS, the international organization for studying and protection of the Mediterranean coastal area. He has published works on topics of nesting of Puffinus yelkouan on the Croatian coast of Adriatic and Himantopus himantopus in Croatia, as well as on nesters in the Trogir area, and the characteristics of habitat and distribution of Sitta neumayer Mich. (Aves) in Croatia and neighboring areas.
He has been involved in guiding of birders since 1991, in the areas of Trogir, Krka national park, around Knin, on the islands of Komiza, Lastovo, Svetac and Mljet which is also a national park, Vransko lake nature park and Plitvice lakes national park. |
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Accommodation
& Centre Details |
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Local tri-star hotel, double rooms, en-suite bathroom. |
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Holidays
Extras |
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We have provided a little
section of extra travel needs that you may need
and to make life easier for our customers. We aim
to provide all the extras you would need; flights,
hotels, insurance, car hire and airport parking.
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| Map of Croatia with signed birding sites of this program [Full
Image] |
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