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PL137
Bieszczady Mountains
Location Poland, podkarpackie
Central coordinates 22o 30.00' East  49o 10.00' North
IBA criteria C1, C6
Area 107,800 ha
Altitude 500 - 1,346m
Year of IBA assessment 2010

Ogólnopolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków



Ornithological information A total of 161 species have been recorded. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Aquila clanga (1-2 non-breeding birds).

Site description The site covers part of the Western Bieszczady range, the only part of the Eastern Carpathians lying within Poland. The lowest part of the site is mainly deforested, above which is subalpine forest (covering 84% of the site), dominated mainly by beech Fagus. Above that are extensive alpine meadows and Vaccinium heath, with alder Alnus shrubs.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Hazel Grouse Bonasa bonasia breeding  2004-2008  500-800 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Black Stork Ciconia nigra breeding  2004-2008  30-40 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Least Concern 
European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus breeding  2004-2008  40-50 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Least Concern 
Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina breeding  2004-2008  70-80 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos breeding  2004-2008  10 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Least Concern 
Corncrake Crex crex breeding  2004-2008  500-550 males only  medium  C1, C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo breeding  2004-2008  10-20 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Ural Owl Strix uralensis breeding  2004-2008  150-200 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Pygmy-owl Glaucidium passerinum breeding  2004-2008  20-30 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus breeding  2004-2008  20-30 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis breeding  2004-2008  100-200 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos breeding  2004-2008  80-100 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus breeding  2004-2008  50-150 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Grey-faced Woodpecker Picus canus breeding  2004-2008  250-300 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Least Concern 
Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria breeding  2004-2008  100-200 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Least Concern 
Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis breeding  2004-2008  1,200-1,500 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Least Concern 
Ficedula parva breeding  2004-2008  700-1,100 breeding pairs  poor  C6  Not Recognised 
Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris breeding  2004-2008  7-10 breeding pairs  good    Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Bieszczady - PLC180001 Birds Directive 111,520 is identical to site 107,800  
Bieszczadzki PN National Park 29,200 protected area contained by site 27,833  
Cisniansko-Wetlinski Park Krajobrazowy Landscape Park 51,146 protected area contained by site 51,146  
Cisy Nature Reserve 20 protected area contained by site 3  
Dzwiniacz Nature Reserve 11 protected area contained by site 11  
East Carpathians (POL) UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve 113,846 protected area contained by site 108,924  
Goóoborze Nature Reserve 14 protected area contained by site 14  
Hulskie im. Stefana Myczkowskiego Nature Reserve 190 protected area contained by site 190  
Krywe Nature Reserve 512 protected area contained by site 512  
Litmirz Nature Reserve 13 protected area contained by site 13  
Lokiec Nature Reserve 140 protected area contained by site 10  
Olsza Kosa w Steznicy Nature Reserve 2 protected area contained by site 2  
Olszyna L/êgowa w Kalnicy Nature Reserve 14 protected area contained by site 14  
Park Krajobrazowy Doliny Sany Landscape Park 34,866 protected area contained by site 34,866  
Przóom Solinki Nature Reserve 3 protected area contained by site 3  
Puszcza Bieszczadzka nad Sanem Nature Reserve 499 protected area contained by site 499  
Sine Wiry Nature Reserve 450 protected area contained by site 450  
Tarnawa Nature Reserve 34 protected area contained by site 34  
Wetlina Nature Reserve 99 protected area contained by site 99  
Woronikówka Nature Reserve 15 protected area contained by site 15  
Zakole Nature Reserve 5 unknown 5  
Zakole Nature Reserve 5 protected area contained by site 5  
Zakole NR (Peatbog Reserve) Nature Reserve 5 unknown 5  
Zswie/zl/o Nature Reserve 2 protected area contained by site 2  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Mixed woodland; Native coniferous woodland  88%
Grassland Alpine, subalpine and boreal grassland; Steppes and dry calcareous grassland  7%
Wetlands (inland) Rivers and streams  2%
Other   1%
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land; Ruderal land  2%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture 15%
forestry 50%
tourism/recreation 10%
nature conservation and research 25%
hunting -

Management considerations The main threats are infrastructural and urban development along river valleys and within Landscape Parks (new hotels, pensions, etc.), drainage, loss of suitable habitat features for raptors and hole-nesters, and forest succession in open habitats. Almost the whole area is part of a transboundary Biosphere Reserve shared with Slovakia.

Protection status National High International High27,833 ha of IBA covered by National Park (Bieszczadzki, 27,833 ha). 1,876 ha of IBA covered by 17 Nature Reserves (Cisy na Górze Jawor; DŸwiniacz; Go³oborze; Hulskie im. Stefana Myczkowskiego; Krywe; £okieæ; Litmirz; Olsza Kosa w Stê¿nicy; Olszyna £êgowa w Kalnicy; Prze³om Solinki; Puszcza Bieszczadzka nad Sanem; Sine Wiry; Tarnawa; Wetlina; Woronikówka; Zakole; Zswiêz³o; combined area of 1,876 ha). 51,146 ha of IBA covered by Landscape Park (Cieœniñsko-Wetliñski, 51,146 ha). 34,866 ha of IBA covered by Landscape Park (Doliny Sany, 34,866 ha). 108,924 ha of IBA covered by Biosphere Reserve (East Carpathian/East Beskid, 108,924 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Bieszczady Mountains. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife