Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A tract of the Gorce mountains (part of the Western Beskidy range), comprising the upper part of the Kamienica river catchment and parts of other catchments. The peaks of Jaworzyna (1,288 m), Kud³oñ (1,276 m) and Mostownica (1,251 m) lie within the National Park, which is covered mainly by semi-natural subalpine forest, dominated by spruce
Picea, oak
Quercus and fir
Abies. Mountain pasture occurs at higher elevations.
A total of 80 species have been recorded breeding.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Some mountain pastures (privately owned) are reverting to forest following the cessation of grazing. Birds are disturbed by the high number of tourists and local people collecting wild foodstuffs. Some privately owned forests along the border of the National Park are being clear-felled. Tree-death from acid rain (air pollution originating from industry upwind) is also a problem. An overhead cable-car to the highest peak (Turbacz) is proposed, which would further increase the number of tourists and the amount of infrastructural development in the region.
National High
International None7,030 ha of IBA covered by National Park (Gorczañski, 7,030 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gorce mountains (Poland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gorce-mountains-iba-poland on 23/12/2024.
