The central part of these hills and mountains is covered by Picea, Fagus and Abies forest, with subalpine and mesophile meadows occurring on the ridges. Away from the centre the landscape is more open with arable land, pasture, small areas of mixed forest and a few villages. Almost half of the IBA area is used for military training and is closed to the public.
Key biodiversity
An important site for forest and upland species. Ciconia nigra, Tetrao tetrix, Picoides tridactylus and Turdus torquatus also breed.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Forestry and military activities and paragliding cause disturbance to birds. Additional low threats are posed by tree falls, flooding and insect pests. Conservation activities include protecting raptor nesting sites.
Protected areas
National Low International NoneThe IBA partially or wholly overlaps with the following national designated areas. Nature Reserves: Bišár, Hájik, Valalská voda. Protected range: Uhliská. Natural Monuments: Jazerec, Podhorské.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Levocské hills. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 09/08/2020.
