Data Zone
Country/territory: Bulgaria
IBA criteria met: B1i, B2, C3, C6 (2005)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 1,168 hectares (11.68 km2)
Site description (2000 baseline)
An island in the River Danube located between kilometres 576 and 560, lying opposite Vardim village, east of the town of Svistov. Alluvial forest of Quercus, Ulmus and Populus covers the eastern part of the island, while a Populus plantation covers the western part. There are also sandbars covered by seasonally flooded forest. Human activities include intensive management of the plantation, and hunting (including international hunting tourism) during the winter.
Key biodiversity
One of the most important nesting sites in the country for Phalacrocorax carbo, Nycticorax nycticorax and Platalea leucorodia. Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Phalacrocorax pygmeus (c.20 pairs before 1989, but now extinct), Haliaeetus albicilla (1 pair before 1989, now extinct).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Vardim Island (Bulgaria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/vardim-island-iba-bulgaria on 23/12/2024.