Data Zone
Country/territory: Slovakia
IBA criteria met: C1, C6 (2004)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 19,008 hectares (190.08 km2)
Site summary
Košická kotlina is a lowland area used for intensive agriculture. The Hornád River, joined by Torysa and Olšava, crosses the eastern part of the area. A fishpond system (Chýmske rybníky) and two large lakes formed from gravel pits lie near to Hornád River. To the east the lowland rises in elevation to form the Slanské vrchy foothills, complete with meadows and pastures. To the south, on the Hungarian border, the Bodvianska pahorkatina provides valuable meadow and pasture habitat with a few mature orchards and solitary trees. Sparse oak-hornbeam forests exist in the north of the area. Dominant habitats are intensive, mosaic agricultural land, and urban settlements. The area is used mainly for agriculture, hunting, urban and recreational purposes. There are nesting sites for raptors, significant populations of lowland bird species, and a number of endangered water bird nests in the surrounding Chýmske rybníky area. Intensive agriculture is the main threat to birds. The site is proposed as an SPA.
Acknowledgements
Spoluautori: Samuel Pačenovský.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Košice valley (Slovakia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/košice-valley-iba-slovakia on 25/12/2024.