Annotated Ramsar List: Poland - http://www.ramsar.org/profiles_poland.htm
The Convention on Wetlands came into force for Poland on 22 March 1978. Poland presently has 8 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance, with a surface area of 90,455 hectares.
Bialowieza Forest - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/bialowieza_forest.HTM
Famous as the last home of the endangered European Bison, this forest is the largest of the few remnants of the original forest which once covered much of Europe. Of the nearly 600sq km of Bialowieza Forest, almost 50sq km is protected as a national park. As well as the forest, made up mainly of Oak, Lime Alder and Pine, there are open clearings, park-like areas and wet marshes, the variety of habitats enabling a very wide range of birds to breed. 250 species have been recorded and more than 170 have been known to breed.
Bialowieza Forest - World Heritage Site - http://www.wcmc.org.uk/protected_areas/data/wh/bialowie.html
There are some 232 species of birds recorded in the Bialowieza region, 120 of which breed in the park and include capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, black stork Ciconia nigra, crane Grus grus, most European owls including pygmy Glaucidium passerinum and eagle owl Bubo bubo, a large number of raptors such as spotted eagle Aquila clanga (VU) and booted eagle Hieraeetus pennatus, three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus, white-backed woodpecker Dendrocopus leucotos, redwing Turdus iliacus, nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes and red-breasted flycatcher Muscicapa parva.
Bialystok Fishponds - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/bialystok_fishponds.htm
One of Poland's best wetland areas for birds, these ponds lie close to the city of Bialystok in the north-east of the country. Despite the close proximity of this industrial centre and the inevitable disturbance in summer, this area has an excellent selection of breeding birds and attracts an interesting range of passage species. As well as open water there are reedbeds and willow scrub.
Biebrza Marshes - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/biebrza_national_park.HTM
A vast area of marshland created by the meanderings of the Biebrza River this area is becoming increasingly popular with travelling birders keen to see its wealth of breeding birds. One of the great attractions of Biebrza is the easily observed Great Snipe lek, the most accessible to the majority of western European birders. The other major draw is the good population of the declining Aquatic Warbler and there is also a great variety of raptors to be seen. As well as the river itself there are numerous channels, backwaters and oxbows, with flooded pastures, hay meadows and sedge fens. Much of the drier land is scrub-covered and there are also patches of wet birch forest, pine bog forest and alder woodland.
Bieszczady National Park - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/bieszczady_national_park.htm
Situated in the extreme south-eastern corner of the country, this national park has been little visited until recent years but is becoming an increasingly regular part of birding trips to the Poland. The Bieszczady Mountains form part of the Eastern Carpathians and are located close to the Slovakian and Ukrainian borders and part of the area is a Biosphere Reserve shared with adjacent Slovakia. The lower parts of the range consists of rolling grassland but at higher levels there are extensive forests of Beech, Pine, Spruce and Larch with alpine meadows higher still. Many of the typical forest and upland birds of Eastern Europe occur here but the area is still relatively little-known ornithologically.
Birding in Poland - http://www.birding.gt.pl/
These pages are devoted to birding and wildlife in Poland. Here you will find the bird list of Poland.
Chelm Marshes - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/chelm_marshes.HTM
To the north and east of Chelm in eastern Poland are large areas of marshes with a fine selection of breeding wetland birds. The habitats are varied with peat bogs and wet meadows, willow and birch scrub and lakes and fish-ponds. Breeders include bitterns, storks, Crane and crakes with numerous passerines including Penduline and Bearded Tits and the declining Aquatic Warbler which is still common in this area. The raptors seen here include Black Kite, Goshawk, harriers and Lesser Spotted Eagle, possibly still White-tailed Eagle. The scrubland has Black Grouse and various waders occur in the meadows including Great Snipe and Black-tailed Godwit.
CZAPLON - Upper Vistula Valley Ornithological Club - http://www.czaplon.most.org.pl/a/aindex.htm
The 'CZAPLON' ornithological club currently consists of about 50 persons interested in the bird area of European importance, the fishponds and reservoirs in Upper Vistula Valley in southern Poland, between Skoczow and Zator. We carry regular observations and monitor the populations of breeding and non-breeding birds. In our group, we cooperate with scientific bodies: Ornithological Station of Institute of Ecology PAN in Gdansk, Malopolskie Ornithological Society in Kraków and Department of Avian Ecology of Wroclaw University. We also work in the conservation field as a local group of Polish Society for the Protection of the Birds (OTOP). What is more our group also cooperates with other societies and institutions protecting nature in South Poland.
EECONET Action Fund - http://www.eeconet.org/poland/index.html
The goal of the EAF is to fund third parties (semi-state governmental organisations e.g. National Parks, and non-governmental organisations) to buy or lease important natural sites which contribute to the Pan European Ecological Network. In those countries where land purchase and/or lease is not possible, the Fund supports the implementation of urgent management or restorative measures for the protection of natural sites. To ensure the long-term sustainability or effectiveness of conservation and wise use programmes, a practical management plan is often developed. An additional objective is to strengthen and train organisations through the execution of such emergency actions.
Finding a Birding Pal in Poland - http://www.birdingpal.org/Poland.htm
A Great Idea. A network of birders sharing knowledge and experience of their home area with visitors who are willing to reciprocate if the opportunity presents itself.
Gdansk Bay Area - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/gdansk_bay_area.htm
Much of the coastline of this huge bay in north-eastern Poland is good for birds and although the city of Gdansk itself is highly industrialised the surrounding areas remain excellent birding habitat. This is a vast area with a wide range of breeding birds and the stretch of coast here attracts migrants which number in the millions. Well over 300 species have been recorded in this area, rarities such as Steller's and King Eiders are frequently seen and species generally scarce in the Baltic such as Dark-bellied Brent and Barnacle Geese are regular. Skuas often appear in the bay after stormy weather and Iceland and Glaucous Gulls are regular in winter. Exceptional rarities recorded here have include Lesser Sandplover, Slender-billed Gull, Radde's Warbler and Southern Grey Shrike. Citrine Wagtail has bred in the area since the mid-1990s.
Kampinos National Park - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/kampinos.htm
Very close to Warsaw and with a variety of habitats this park is an ideal destination for visitors to Poland with limited birding time. Much of the park is covered with pine forest but there are also mixed and riverine forest, marshland and scrub-covered patches of abandoned farmland. With the loss of open habitats the diversity of birds is decreasing and species such as Black Grouse, Roller and Stone Curlew as well as several raptors no longer breed.
Karsiborska Kepa - http://www.kepa.swinoujscie.com.pl/english/
The creation of internet site about Karsiborska Kepa (English version) is in progress. You will find here most important infos about this island's nature. You can send an e-mail about this site to: kepa@swinoujscie.com.pl. Now you can click into sections: Links, Bird Line, Observations, Contact us. We work to fill other parts of this web site, please be patient...
Milicz Fishponds and the Barycz Valley - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/milicz_fishponds.htm
This area of fishponds around the town of Milicz in the Barycz River valley includes deciduous woodland and wet meadows as well as the ponds themselves. The ponds vary greatly in size but most are shallow with abundant emergent vegetation and reedbeds and the area is of great importance for breeding and passage waterbirds.
MTO - Malopolskie Towarzystwo Ornitologiczne - Polish - http://www.mto.most.org.pl/
Towarzystwo zrzesza ornitologów amatorów i zawodowo zajmujacych sie ptakami, a takze wszystkich sympatyków i milosników ptaków. Naszym glównym celem jest obserwowanie ptaków, zbieranie informacji o ich rozmieszczeniu i liczebnosci na terenie Malopolski oraz aktywny udzial w ochronie ptaków i ich srodowisk. Staramy sie takze by wiedza o ptakach docierala do calego spoleczenstwa. Sluzy temu popularyzacja wiedzy o ptakach w prasie, radiu i telewizji.
North Podlassian Society for Bird Protection - PTOP - http://falco.man.bialystok.pl/ptop/
In 1985, a group of Białowieża ornithologists, conserned about the changes in the environment, undertook the effort of creating an organization which could conteract the devastation of the environment. On 26th May 1985, the founders' meeting of the North-Podlasie Society for Bird Protection was held in Białowieża. The statutes of the Society state that was purposus of the N-PSBP are : Protection of birds and, especialy, of their habitats Recognition of the curent status of the bird fauna and its changes in the North-Podlasie Lowland.
Ornithological Station in Ruda Milicka - http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/instzool/zep/stacja_eng.html
The Station is located within the nature reserve 'Stawy Milickie' ('Milicz's Fish Ponds') - the largest reserve in Poland and one of the most important breeding areas for water birds in Central Europe, protected with the RAMSAR convention. Faculty and students of Zoological Institute as well as visitors from other academic centres conduct here research in various areas of zoology and ecology.
OTOP - Leszczyńska Grupa - Polish - http://www.eko.org.pl/otop-leszno/otop.htm
Ogólnopolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków zalozone w 1991 roku, jest pozarzadowa organizacja spoleczna zrzeszajaca wszystkich, którym nieobojetny jest los ptaków w naszym kraju. OTOP kierowany jest przez demokratycznie wybierany Zarzad i zarzadzany przez etatowych pracowników. Wspólpraca z krajowymi naukowcami oraz miedzynarodowymi organizacjami ochrony przyrody sprawia, ze OTOP jest profesjonalna organizacja, skutecznie i racjonalnie wykorzystujaca fundusze ze skladek czlonkowskich na ochrone ptaków i ich siedlisk. Fundamentem OTOP sa czlonkowie Towarzystwa. OTOP dziala dzieki wiedzy, doswiadczeniu, aktywnosci i skladkom swoich czlonków. Towarzystwo wydaje dla swoich czlonków kwartalny biuletyn 'Ptaki'. Dzialalnosc OTOP-u to przede wszystkim:
OTOP - Nadnotecka Grupa - Polish - http://www.nadnotecka.most.org.pl/
Zapraszamy do przegladania strony poswieconej Nadnoteckiej Grupie Ogólnopolskiego Towarzystwa Ochrony Ptaków. Grupa powstala w koncu 1997 roku z inicjatywy kilku milosników ptaków z okolic Czarnkowa. Jej misja jest ochrona ptaków i ich siedlisk na Ziemi Noteckiej, a szczególnie doliny Noteci.
Polish National Parks - http://hum.amu.edu.pl/~zbzw/ph/pnp/pnp.htm
National Parks in Poland constitute the biggest form of nature protection. The area of a national park, may not be smaller than 1,000 ha. The park protects an area distinctive for its unique scientific, natural, cultural and educational values. A national park protects the entire nature and specific landscape features within its borders. The main task of a national park is to study and preserve the unity of natural systems of the area, as well as to restore the disturbed or extinct elements of a native nature.
Polish Rarities Committee - http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/komfaun/eng/home.html
Rarities Committees, following the model of the British one, are active in most of the European countries, co-operating in support of faunistic research. These are teams of experts in field ornithology, assigned to verify reports of bird species recognized as 'faunistically important' to a certain area and period. Acceptance by the proper committee is a perequist for consideration of a record’s validity, thus for its acknowledgement at international range as a scientific fact.
Polskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Przyrody 'Salamandra' - Polish - http://www.salamandra.org.pl/
Przemysl Ornithology Society - http://www.pto.most.org.pl/english.html
The Przemysl Ornithology Society aim at maintance of biological variety, preserving wild living birds as well as their natural habitat. Our Society also popularize natural history on the territory of its activity (Przemysl province, Rzeszów province, Krosno province).
Salamandra - Polskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Przyrody - Polish - http://www.salamandra.org.pl/
Sekcja Ornitologiczna Kola Naukowego Lesników - Polish - http://www-rak.sggw.waw.pl/~soknl/
Siemianowka Reservoir - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/siemianowka.htm
Situated about 30km to the north of Bialowieza this large reservoir is an ideal addition to birding trip to the forest adding a range of species to a trip list and a change of scenery. The banks of this man-made reservoir vary from muddy, with pools to grass-covered or concrete slopes. The eastern end, where the vegetation is densest, is generally the more productive and the wet heathland just beyond the eastern tip of the reservoir is excellent for raptors.
Slonsk - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/slonsk_reserve.htm
In the west of Poland close to the German border is a large area of marshes where the Warta, Odra and Postomia Rivers meet. This area is a Landscape Park, a Ramsar Site and the Slonsk Reserve, an extremely important passage stopover and wintering site for tens of thousands of waterfowl and other birds. In addition the area is the most important wetland in western Poland for breeding birds and around 160 species have been known to nest out of a total of more than 240 species recorded. The reserve covers more than 4000ha of rivers, oxbows, a reservoir, shallow lakes and drainage channels set in a landscape of regularly flooded meadows and pastures.
Szczecin Bay Area - http://www.eurobirding.co.uk/szczecin_bay_area.htm
This vast estuary in the far north-west of Poland, on the border with Germany, is one of the most important areas for migrant waders in Europe but the wide range of habitats here makes it an excellent birding area at any time of year. As well as the bay or lagoon itself which holds good numbers of ducks and seabirds, there are several river deltas, islands, marshes and reedbeds, peatbogs, farmland and Beech and Oak forest. There are several protected areas around the bay including two islands. The centre of Wolin Island at the north-eastern corner of the bay is protected as the Wolinski National Park and Karsibor Island was the first reserve to be established by OTOP, the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds. Karsibor Island lies to the south of the port of Swinoujscie. There is an ornithological station at Lake Swidwie, a reed-fringed lake surrounded by wet meadows on the western side of the bay near the German border. To the east of Swinoujscie there is some woodland worth exploring and a breakwater with migrant waders.
Waterbird Research Group KULING - http://free.ngo.pl/kuling/en/index.html
Waterbird Research Group KULING was established in 1983 as an informal group dealing with autumn migration of waterbirds and waders in the Gulf of Gdansk. In 1996 we were registered as a non-governmental organisation. Since the beginning of our activity we have been closely related to the Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology of the University of Gdansk and to its Student Scientific Ornithological Group. Nowadays KULING gathers professional ornithologists, students, as well as amateur ornithologists. Everyone who is over 16 and has taken part in our activities can belong to our Society.
West-Pomeranian Ornithological Society - http://www.zto.most.org.pl/ZTO/engzto.htm
West-Pomeranian Ornithological Society was registered in September 1994. But as an informal group of amateur ornithologists it has been acting for over 20 years. At the moment, it has almost 100 members. The society was registered in order increase the effectiveness of all activities which are undertaken by amateurs. The main, long-term aim of the association is achieving legal protection and full control of all grounds valuable for birds in Western Pomerania. Members of WPOS co-operate with The Szczecin Ornithological Station 'Swidwie'. At the Station - thanks to the kindness of its management - the society has its seat. Buildings of the Station were built in 1974 by amateur ornithologists.
World Factbook - Poland - http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/pl.html
A good resource to find lots of facts about a country you might be thinking of visiting.
Zaklad Ornitologii - Polish - http://www.stornit.gda.pl/
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