Great Bustard Pastures

Names in the national language

Pašnjaci velike droplje (Serbia)

Location and short description

The Great Bustard Pastures (Pašnjaci velike droplje) are located in the northern part of Banat in Serbia, near the Romanian border and 30 km from the Hungarian border. The area consists of four spatially separated units: Jaroš-Jazovo-Vajlerka, Kočovat, Crni rit and Siget.

Special features

The Great Bustard Pastures form a unique territory in Serbia with typical steppe and salt marsh habitats.This mosaic habitat is suitable for rare plant and animal species to exist, among which certainly the rarest is the Great bustard (Otis tarda). The area is the only habitat for this bird species in Serbia, and one of the few in Europe. Two-thirds of the birds that can be seen in the area have the status of natural rarities. The area includes the Jazovo pond created in 1972 (400 ha).

Main biotop types

Steppe, salt marshes, grasslands, wetlands and arable ecosystems

Species

• Mammals: European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus)
• Birds: Great bustard (Otis tarda), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), Red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus), Saker falcon (Falco cherrug), Common crane (Grus grus), Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops), Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), Lesser grey shrike (Lanius minor)
• Insects: Cone-headed grasshopper (Acrida ungarica)
• Amphibians: Common spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus)
• Reptiles: Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes)

Status of protection

Special Nature Reserve, Important Bird Area (Serbia)