Data Zone
Country/territory: Bosnia and Herzegovina
IBA criteria met: A1, B1a, B3a (2018)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 11,891 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2018 | not assessed | not assessed | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2019 baseline)
Popovo polje stretches 31 in length and not more than 1,5 in width. It is surrounded by mountains of: Vjetrenik, Gradina, Čavaška gradina, Mala gradina, Vranjak, Bjelasnica,Veliki Lisac, Rujnica and Oblo brdo.
Trebišnjica river flows through the polje which is a part of Neretva and Trebišnjica river basin and has a flood area of 42,06 km2.
Key biodiversity
In ornithological sense it hasn’t been systematically researched since, but in 2017 a large population of over 100 breeding pairs of Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur has been confirmed. Apart from that this polje probably hosts large flocks of Crane Grus grus, Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, and Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis during migration.
Until now 176 bird species, 7 fish and 20 dragonfly species have been recorded in Popovo polje. Flora was never thoroughly explored. Most important habitat types are associations of temporarily flooded submediterranean wet meadows (Trifolio-Hordeetalia) and associations of reed and rush that grow in shallow water pools. Popovo polje was also known as extremely important site of underground biodiversity, yet many endemic species unique for this polje were lost during the building of Trebišnjica channel and other hydrological transformations of this site. Olm Proteus anguinus still survives in this polje.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Popovo polje (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/popovo-polje-iba-bosnia-and-herzegovina on 23/11/2024.