Action Plan for Eygptian Vulture Protection:

On May 15th, 2008 the National Council for Biodiversity at the Ministry of Environment and Waters of Bulgaria accepted with a complete majority the action plan for the protection of the egyptian vulture(2009-2018), which was developed by BSPB. The plan is a result of over 20 years of activities by Birdlife-Bulgaria on the protection of this globally endagered species, whose numbers are rapidly decreasing in recent years. Most  members of the Council – Bulgarian scientists, experts from environmental agencies and NGOs- were more than pleased with the action plan, which  was mostly due to the high quality  work of  people who played an essential role in its preparation -Marin Kurtev and Ivailo Angelov  and the team of experts and volunteers that worked with them in recent years. more...

BSPB and E.ON in cooperative effort in building Stork Nests:  

BSPB, in its continual efforts to work in a cooperative method with E.ON, Eastern Bulgaria's electricity provider, has begun installation of Stork nests on E.ON Electric Pylons.

"The project is part of the electrical company's policy for environmental protection and preserving the natural balance in the respective regions"

The white stork is one of the two species of storks that is included in Bulgaria's Red Book of Endangered Species, and is protect by Bulgarian and by EU law. The bird is strongly attached to one nest throughout its life.

In the last 30 years, the white stork in Bulgaria increasingly prefer to nest on electrical posts. Some 90% of all nests in Bulgaria are located on the pylons.

By providing the nesting platform, E.ON, with help and consultation from the Bulgaria Society for Protection of Birds will protect both the birds and the electricity transfer system from accidents.

Birds Australia Northern NSW Club donates A$150.00 towards conservation projects in Bulgaria.

Bucks County Birders Presents Program on Birding in Bulgaria: 27 May 2008.

“Bulgarian Birding Adventure” by JoAnn Raine and Yoav Chudnoff. 

JoAnn Raine, along with Yoav Chudnoff, will present this program. JoAnn has traveled widely here in the States pursuing her hobby and is the Secretary for Bucks County Birders. Yoav represents The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds in the United States. The primary guide on the trip was Gerard Gorman, a well-respected European birder; the local guide was Mladen Vasilev of the BSPB. A complete article on this trip can be found in the autumn 2007 issue (Vol 4, No.3) of The Kingfisher. For additional information: BCB

Photo by Earl Harrison.

Bucks County Birders donated $150.00 towards IMPERIAL EAGLE Conservation

Important Bird Areas in Bulgaria

Each Month we will list eight Bulgarian Important Bird Areas:

Facts about the Bulgarian 114 IBAs:

• All the European White Pelicans, almost all (over 70 %) of the world’s White Storks and over the half of the nesting in Europe Lesser Spotted Eagles are using the Via Pontica flyway following the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. On their journey they pass over 18 internationally important IBAs.

• 75% of the population of Red-breasted Goose spend the winter at two of the North Black Sea Coast IBAs – Shabla Lake Complex and Durankulak. Both of these zones were not included into the approved by the Council of Ministers NATURA 200 list.

• Nine of the Bulgarian IBAs hold 17% of the EU population of the Imperial Eagle. At present it looks like five of these zones will not receive the NATURA 2000 protection. Among them are Sakar and West Strandzha where almost all of the known nests in Bulgaria are situated.

• The situation with Semi-collared Flycatcher in the Balkan Mountain is similar - 61% of the EU population of the species is concentrated in ten of the IBAs there and six of these were not approved by the Council of Ministers. Kamchia Complex where the densest population of Semi-collared Flycatcher is based was left outside the official NATURA 2000 list.