Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A former fish-farm, situated on the bank of the River Danube, north of the village of Nova Cherna. The open water of the ponds is partly covered by rich marsh vegetation of
Hydrocharis,
Nymphaea,
Nymphoides and
Trapa. The ponds are fringed by dense reedbeds of
Phragmites,
Typha and
Schoenoplectus, with some groups of
Salix trees, and are separated from the river by a seasonally flooded forest of
Salix and
Populus, which also covers a nearby island in the Danube (part of this complex). Plantations of
Robinia and
Elaeagnus cover the surrounding hills. Fish-farming ceased in 1993 because of financial problems. `Other' land-use (below) is reed-cutting.
The site is important during the breeding season for nesting, feeding and resting waterbirds, e.g. the globally threatened
Pelecanus crispus,
Branta ruficollis and
Aythya nyroca, and is also an important staging and roosting area for migrating waterbirds, e.g.
Phalacrocorax pygmeus,
Ciconia ciconia and
Plegadis falcinellus. Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Phalacrocorax pygmeus (5 pairs before 1989, now only 1 pair left). Significant proportion (³1%) of national population breeding at site:
Nycticorax nycticorax (30-50 pairs).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Problems include reductions in water-levels, and disturbance of birds by reed-cutters and collectors of herbs and snails. The procedure for designation of 663 ha of the site as a protected area is not finished.
National Low
International None74 ha of IBA covered by Protected Landscape (Bezimenen Island, 74 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kalimok Complex (Bulgaria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kalimok-complex-iba-bulgaria on 22/11/2024.
