Values
Research of the bird fauna of this reserve has been conducted for full five years. More significant and detailed research started in 2005 with regular season field research, and the following summer there were the first bird banding. Two seasons later about 1500 birds got banded.
Apart from serious scientific research for ornithologists, amateurs and other nature lovers, the Reserve offer the opportunity to practice BIRD WATCHING. Bird watching is done on the Valjevac meadow which is the ideal combination of a grassy habitat, shallow water-filled depressions, and nearby reed areas with the Zasavica water surface on the one side and forest range on the other.
Significant findings
The following important bird spotting took place at the Reserve over the past 10 years:
- Platalea leucorodia – Spoonbill (with pink feathers) for the first time in Serbia
- Falco peregrinus – Peregrine Falcon, a rare species, it is assumed it might be nesting in the Reserve
- Circus macrourus – Pallid Harrier, a species very rare in Serbia
- Coracias garrulus – Roller, a species rare in Serbia
- Galvia arcaica – Diver, first time in Mačva
- Milvus migrans – Black Kite, a species rare in Serbia
- Milvus milvus- Red Kite
- Cettia cetti- Cetti’s Warbler
So far 182 species have been registered and confirmed on the territory of the Reserve. List of birds in the Zasavica Reserve.
Activities and projects
One part of the research is focused on rare bird species protection programme within which bird houses specially suited for different species or groups are posted to facilitate nesting. So far about 30 nesting houses have been posted for small songbirds, owls and birds of prey.
With the help of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, we realized the protective canal construction project on the Valjevac meadow, that is, a 1000 m long canal was built which will create an absolutely protected place for peaceful life of birds without any presence of cattle or people, and we are going to build a special outlook tower for bird watching in this area.
