BG024
Mechka Fish-ponds


Site description (2000 baseline):

Site location and context
Fish-ponds overgrown with reeds, situated close to the bank of the River Danube. The aquatic vegetation is dominated by Phragmites, Trapa, Nymphaea, as well as by Typha in some places. In the western part of the ponds there is a seasonally flooded forest of Fraxinus, Tilia, Ulmus and Acer, as well as a small river fully overgrown with shrubs, acacia and grass. The ponds are surrounded by dry hills overgrown with acacia and steppe-like vegetation. Human activities includes fishery, reed-cutting (`Other' land-use, below), and hunting.



Key biodiversity
The ponds are of global importance for breeding and migrating Aythya nyroca, migrating Phalacrocorax pygmeus and wintering Pelecanus crispus, and are one of the most important sites in Bulgaria for breeding Ixobrychus minutus. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Anser erythropus (max. 1 in winter), Branta ruficollis (max. 20 in winter), Haliaeetus albicilla (1 breeding pair; 2-7 birds along river in winter), Aquila heliaca (max. 2 on passage), Acrocephalus paludicola (max. 1 on passage). Significant proportion (³1%) of national population breeding at site: Tadorna ferruginea (1 pair), Porzana pusilla (1 pair).



Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main problems are reed-cutting and the drying-out of ponds during the breeding season.



Protected areas
National None International None




Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mechka Fish-ponds (Bulgaria). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mechka-fish-ponds-iba-bulgaria on 05/12/2024.