Current view: Text account
Site description (2018 baseline):
Site location and context
Duvanjsko polje is 20 km long (Mesihovina - Mokronoge), and 12 km wide (Brišnik - Mandino Selo). This karst polje is hydrologically part of the Cetina river basin. It is regularly flooded polje, with total flood surface of 53,07 km2. The lowest parts of polje are occasionally (winter, autumn or spring) flooded. The main river that flows on the polje is Šujica.
Karstic phenomena of Duvanjsko polje are numerous and attractive: Veliki ponor (Large sink-hole) near village Kovači; Donji Brišnik, Dahna cave near Omerovići village, Cave "Katedrala" by Anići, meandres of Šuica and Drina rivers and so on.
This site is also very rich in cultural and historical sense: paleolitic village, prehistoric buildings, roman necropolis, late antic fort, middle-age necropolis etc.
Duvanjsko polje is better explored than majority of other poljes in Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of biodiversity. The species lists contain 11 species of fish, 183 birds, 10 species of dragonflies and 148 plant species that form different vegetation types. The most notable vegetation types are: submediterranean flood meadows (Trifolio-Hordeetalia), wet and flood meadows and pastures (Deschampsietalia), marsh meadows (Molinietalia), which remain submerged under the water for a significant part of the year.
Duvanjsko polje is an important stop over site on the Adriatic Flyway. Most important species are Aythya nyroca, Grus grus and Vanellus vanellus. Other important migrants and wintering species are Circus cyaneus, Falco vespertinus, Streptopelia turtur, Anthus pratensis, Aythya ferina, Platalea leucorodia, Buteo rufinus. Important breeders are Circus aeruginosus, Circus pygargus , Buteo rufinus, Vanellus vanellus, Streptopelia turtur, Merops apiaster, Sylvia nisoria.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Duvanjsko polje is located in Western Bosnia, close to Croatia and SE of larger Livanjsko polje. It can be reached from N and NW through a regional road Kupres – Tomislavgrad and Livno – Tomislavgrad. From South it is accessible by a regional road Mostar – Livno.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Duvanjsko polje (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/duvanjsko-polje-iba-bosnia-and-herzegovina on 23/11/2024.
