Site description (2000 baseline)
Situated on the eastern side of the Rarãu mountains in the East Carpathians, this is thought to be one of the oldest natural conifer forests in Europe (some trees are up to 350 years old).
Key biodiversity
This is an important site for breeding raptors, particularly owls. 128 species have been recorded. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Crex crex (non-breeding).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Rarău Mountains - Giumalău (Romania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/rarău-mountains--giumalău-iba-romania on 23/12/2024.