Important Bird Areas in Europe – Romania ■ ROMANIA DAN MUNTEANU Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus. (PHOTO: DOMINIQUE ROBERT) GENERAL INTRODUCTION lie between the Prahova river valley to the east and the Timiș and Cerna river valleys to the west. The Western Carpathians Romania is situated in south-east Europe and has an area of form a discontinuous range between the Danube and Someș river 237,500 km2. It borders Ukraine to the north, Moldova to the north- valleys. east, Bulgaria to the south, Yugoslavia to the south-west and Lying on the northern edge of the Dobruja region, the Danube Hungary to the west. The human population in 1993 was 22,789,000. delta covers c.5,054 km2, of which 4,536 km2 are in Romania. It is Romania is divided into eight historical provinces—Maramureș, the largest European wetland after the Volga delta, and includes Crișana, Transylvania, Banat, Moldavia, Dobrogea (Dobruja), one of the most extensive reedbeds (Phragmites) in the world. Sand- Oltenia and Muntenia (the two latter were once known as dunes, large sandy beaches and several fresh or salt-water lakes are Walachia)—and 40 counties. found along the Black Sea coast. Romania’s topography is dominated by the Carpathian Forty-four Important Bird Areas (IBAs) have been identified in Mountains, and can be divided into three parts: the Eastern, Southern Romania (Table 1), covering a total area of 6,557 km2, or 3% of and Western Carpathians. The Eastern Carpathians extend from the country’s land area. The sites are not uniformly distributed the northern frontier to the Prahova river valley, reaching their (Map 1)—most are wetlands found along the Danube and other main maximum height in the Rodna mountains. The Southern Carpathians river corridors. The previous international IBA inventory identified Table 1. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Romania. 44 IBAs covering 6,557 km2 IBA 1989 code code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p. 11) 001 RO001, Danube delta and Razelm–Sinoe complex Delta Dunãrii ºi complexul lagunar Tulcea 442,000 A1, A4i, A4ii, A4iii, B1i, RO001.1– Razelm–Sinoe B1iii, B2, B3 RO001.6 002 — Parcheº–Somova wetland Ghiolurile Parcheº–Somova Tulcea 3,100 A1, A4i, B1i, B2, B3 003 — Lake Beibugeac Lacul Beibugeac Tulcea 180 A1, B1i, B3 004 RO002 Niculiþel and Babadag forest Pãdurea Babadag–Niculiþel Tulcea 10,000 A1, B2 005 — Black Sea coast–Chituc Litoralul Mãrii Negre–Chituc Constanþa 5,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3 006 RO003 Lake Taºaul Lacul Taºaul Constanþa 1,830 B1i 007 RO004 Lake Siutghiol Lacul Siutghiol Constanþa 2,000 A1, A4i, B1i 008 RO005 Lake Techirghiol Lacul Techirghiol Constanþa 1,170 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3 009 RO006 Hagieni forest Pãdurea Hagieni Constanþa 600 B2, B3 010 —Vãdeni–Maþa–Cârja–Rãdeanu wetlands Bãlþile Vãdeni–Maþa–Cârja–Rãdeanu Galaþi, Vaslui 380 A1 011 — Odobeºti hill Mãgura Odobeºtilor Vrancea 12,000 B2 012 — Bârnova–Repedea woodland Pãdurile Bârnova–Repedea Iaºi 15,000 B2 013 RO011 Bicaz gorge and Lake Roºu Cheile Bicazului ºi Lacu Roºu Neamþ, Harghita 2,200 B2 481 Important Bird Areas in Europe – Romania Table 1 ... continued. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Romania. 44 IBAs covering 6,557 km2 IBA 1989 code code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p.11) 014 —Vlãdeni fish-ponds Eleºteele Vlãdeni Iaºi 1,200 A1, B1i, B2 015 — Stânca–ªtefãneºti reservoir Acumularea Stânca–ªtefãneºti Botoºani 7,000 B1i, B2 016 —Slãtioara forest Codrul Secular Slãtioara Suceava 397 B2 017 RO013 Pietrosul Rodnei mountain Muntele Pietrosul Rodnei Maramureº 3,300 B2 018 — Dobron forest Pãdurea Dobron Mureº 220 B2, B3 019 — Zau de Câmpie–Tãureni fish-ponds Eleºteele Zau de Câmpie–Tãureni Mureº 520 B2 020 —Fizeº valley Valea Fizeºului Cluj 450 B2 021 —Vlãdeasa mountain Masivul Vlãdeasa Cluj, Bihor 14,000 B2 022 RO016 Întregalde and Râmeþi gorges Cheile Întregalde ºi Cheile Râmeþilor Alba 4,000 B2, B3 023 — Rotbav fish-ponds Eleºteele Rotbav Braºov 180 B2 024 RO021 Retezat National Park Parcul National Reþezat Hunedoara 54,400 B2, B3 025 RO018 Cefa fish-ponds and Rãdvani wood Eleºteele Cefa–Pãdurea Rãdvani Bihor 1,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 026 — Lunca wood Pãdurea Lunca Arad 174 B2 027 — Socodor wood Pãdurea Socodor Arad 500 B2 028 RO019 Mureº river flood-plain: Arad–Pecica–Cenad Lunca Mureºului: Arad–Pecica–Cenad Arad 12,000 B1i, B2, B3 029 RO020 Satchinez marsh Mlaºtina Satchinez Timiº 236 A1, B2 030 — Murani lake and Piºchia forest Lacul Murani ºi Pãdurea Piºchia Timiº 1,500 A1, B2 031 RO022 Domogled mountain Muntele Domogled Caraº-Severin 2,382 A1, B2 032 — Porþile de Fier reservoir Lacul de acumulare Porþile de Fier Caraº-Severin, Mehedinþi 32,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i 033 — Mehedinþi fish-ponds–Izvoarele Eleºteele Mehedinþi–Izvoarele Mehedinþi 210 A1 034 — Mehedinþi fish-ponds–Gruia Eleºteele Mehedinþi–Gruia Mehedinþi 200 B2 035 — Mehedinþi fish-ponds–Gârla Mare Eleºteele Mehedinþi–Gârla Mare Mehedinþi 140 A1, B2 036 — Lake Dunãreni–Bistreþ Lacul Dunãreni–Bistreþ Dolj 1,936 A1, A4i, B1i, B2 037 — Strejeºti reservoir Acumularea Strejeºti Valcea 2,000 A1, B1i 038 — Lake Comana Lacul Comana Gorj 800 A1, B2, B3 039 — Ciocãneºti fish-farm Ferma piscicolã Ciocãneºti Cãlãraºi 300 A1, A4i, B1i, B2 040 — Lake Strachina Lacul Strachina Ialomiþa 1,050 A1, B2 041 — Lake Fundata Lacul Fundata Ialomiþa 510 B1i 042 — Lake Tãtaru Lacul Tãtaru Brãila 120 A1, B2 043 — The Little Island of Brãila Insula Micã a Brãilei Brãila 14,862 A1, A4i, B1i, B2 044 RO009 Balta Albã, Amara and Jirlãu lakes Balta Albã, Lacul Amara ºi Lacul JirlãuBrãila, Buzãu 2,680 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 Sites identified in the previous inventory of IBAs in Europe (Grimmett and Jones 1989) but no longer considered to be IBAs RO007 Canaraua Fetii; RO008 Lacul Dunãreni; RO010 Eleºteele Sînpaul (Sînpaul Ponds); RO012 Lacul Bicaz (Izvoru Muntelui); RO014 Fãrãgãu–Glodeni Fish-ponds; RO015 Cheile Turzii (Turda Gorge); RO017 Iezerele Cindrelului (Cindrel Lakes); RO023 Zona Mostiºtea (Mostiºtea wetlands); RO024 Lacul Snagov. Map 1. Location, area and UKRAINE criteria category of Important 15 Bird Areas in Romania. MOLDOVA HUNGARY 17 16 14 12 25 20 21 18 13 26 19 27 22 28 10 29 30 11 24 23 44 4 2 3 1 31 42 32 43 37 41 5 YUGOSLAVIA 40 33 6 34 7 Highest category of 35 38 39 criteria met by IBA 8 A (24 IBAs) 36 9 BLACK B (20 IBAs) SEA Area of IBA (ha) 5,000 to 442,000 BULGARIA 1,500 to 4,999 397 to 1,499 0 100 200 120 to 396 km 482 Important Bird Areas in Europe – Romania 24 IBAs (Grimmett and Jones 1989). Of these, nine have been threatened (Pelecanus crispus, Aythya nyroca, Aquila clanga, A. dropped (Table 1), either because of (adverse) changes to the habitats heliaca, Falco naumanni, Crex crex and Otis tarda) and 75 have an present at the site, or because they do not meet the revised IBA unfavourable conservation status in Europe (Tucker and Heath criteria. Twenty-nine new sites have been identified between 1994 1994). Twenty-one SPECs regularly occur on passage or overwinter, and 1997. and include the globally threatened Pelecanus crispus, Branta ruficollis A further six areas are subject to monitoring in order to and Aythya nyroca, and the near-threatened Phalacrocorax pygmeus. determine whether they meet IBA criteria: Herghelia Marsh Twenty-four IBAs hold internationally important numbers of (Dobruja), Lake Bugeac (Dobruja), Lake Brateș (Moldavia), Lake at least one species of global conservation concern and therefore Galbeni (Moldavia), Lower valley of the Tur river (Transylvania) meet the A1 criterion (Table 2). Two endemic subspecies occur in and Reservoirs of the Argeș river (Muntenia). Romania—Tetrao urogallus rudolfi and Parus montanus transylvanicus—but no restricted-range species. As a result of its location towards the east of the European ORNITHOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE continent, Romania supports many breeding species either at the western or northern limits of their ranges. Most are waterbirds (for There are 144 species of European conservation concern (SPECs) example, Phalacrocorax pygmeus, Bubulcus ibis, Plegadis falcinellus, breeding regularly in Romania. Of these, seven are globally Tadorna ferruginea and Chlidonias leucopterus) or species of dry grassland/steppe (for example, Circus macrourus, Accipiter brevipes, Apus melba, Hirundo daurica, Cercotrichas galactotes, Oenanthe Table 2. Important Bird Areas in Romania that are important for species of global conservation concern (meeting criterion A1). isabellina, O. pleschanka, O. hispanica, Acrocephalus agricola, Parus lugubris, Emberiza cirlus and E. melanocephala). Romania is also Species IBA code on the migration route of many northern breeders—especially ducks Phalacrocorax pygmeus Pygmy Cormorant 001, 002, 005, 007, 008, 032, 035, 036, (for example, Anas penelope, A. acuta and A. clypeata) and waders 037, 039, 042, 043 (for example, Calidris spp., Philomachus pugnax, Gallinago spp., Pelecanus crispus Dalmatian Pelican 001, 036, 039, 044 Limosa limosa, Tringa erythropus, T. nebularia, T. ochropus and Anser erythropus 014 T. glareola), and provides wintering quarters for some species Lesser White-fronted Goose (Cygnus cygnus, Anser albifrons, Branta ruficollis, Anas crecca, Branta ruficollis Red-breasted Goose 001, 002, 003, 008 Aythya fuligula, Bucephala clangula, Mergus spp., Circus cyaneus, Aythya nyroca Ferruginous Duck 001, 010, 025, 029, 030, 032, 033, 038, Buteo lagopus, Larus fuscus, Turdus pilaris, Lanius excubitor, 040, 043, 044 Fringilla montifringilla and Carduelis flammea). Oxyura leucocephala White-headed Duck 001, 008 The Danube delta (IBA 001) supports a variety of species, with Circus macrourus Pallid Harrier 001 320 having been recorded, some in very large numbers (for example, Aquila clanga Greater Spotted Eagle 001 Phalacrocorax carbo, Pelecanus onocrotalus, Ixobrychus minutus, Aquila heliaca Imperial Eagle 001, 004, 031 Nycticorax nycticorax, Egretta garzetta, Anser anser, Anas Crex crex Corncrake 001, 038, 043 platyrhynchos, Aythya ferina, Aythya nyroca, Falco subbuteo, Glareola nordmanni 001 Porzana spp., Vanellus vanellus, Larus ridibundus, Chlidonias spp., Locustella spp., Acrocephalus spp.