Romanian side
Birdwatching route
Ciupercenii-Desa – Danube River at the Garla-Mare-Maglavit – Blahnita – Zelezni Vrata Nature Park – Domogled National Park – Cerna River valley – Jiu River corridor – Radomir Forest – Estuary of the Olt River, where it flows into the Danube – Comana Nature Park – Iezerul Calarasi Reserve – Borca Branch – Danube Cliffs – Forest and valley of Canaraua Fetii-Iortmac – Dumbraveni-Urluia River valley-Vederoasa Lake – Dobrudzha Gorges – Danube Delta – Tasaul Lake-Corbu – Siutghiol Lake – Techirghiol Lake – Hadjieni Forest-Cotul Vaii.
Following the areas included in the main protected areas presented in APPENDIX 5, a number of areas were included in the birdwatching route. The Ciupercenii-Desa area was included in the birdwatching route because of the included protected area Calafat – Ciupercenii – Danube (Special Bird Protection Area – ROSPA0013). The Danube River at the Garla-Mare-Maglavit was included in this route because of the included protected area Maglavit (ROSPA0074). Zelezni Vrata Nature Park was included because of the included protected areas Almajului Mountains – Locvei (ROSPA0080) and the Danube stream – Bazias – Zelezni Vrata (ROSPA0026). Domogled National Park – Cerna River valley was included in this route because of the territory of Domogled – Cerna River valley (ROSPA0035). The Jiu River corridor was included in this route because of the three Special Bird Protection Areas included – the estuary of the Jiu River, where it flows into the Danube (ROSPA0023), Dabuleni Sands (ROSPA0135), and Bistret (ROSPA0010). The forest and valley of Canaraua Fetii – Iortmac was included in this route because of the three Special Bird Protection Areas included – Dunareni Lake (ROSPA0054), Oltina Lake (ROSPA0056), Baneasa – Canaraua Fetii (ROSPA0008). Dumbraveni – Urluia River valley – Vederoasa Lake was included because of the included sites Aliman – Adamsklisi (ROSPA0001) and Vederoasa Lake (ROSPA0007). The main protected area Danube Cliffs was included in this route because of the two Special Bird Protection Areas – Danube – Ostroave (ROSPA0039) and the Harsova Cliffs (ROSPA0017). Hadjieni Forest – Cotul Vaii was included in this route because of the included Special Bird Protection Area Hadjieni Forest (ROSPA0094).
The birdwatching route follows the same roads as described for the main route with some differences. The first difference is at Craiova, where tourists no longer go to the Oltet River valley, but continue on DN6 to Radomir Forest, before Caracal. The second difference is that after Techirghiol Lake, the road continues without a stop to Hadjieni Forest – Cotul Vaii, and then connects to Bulgaria at Vama Veche, all along the same route as the main route.
Considering the long distance between the Estuary of the Olt River, where it flows into the Danube and the Comana Nature Park, we suggest an alternative route for both the main route and the birdwatching route. Namely, continue traveling across Bulgaria by going through Turnu Magurele – Nikopol and then enter Romania once again via Giurgiu – Ruse.
Bulgarian side
Persina Nature Park – Nikopol Plateau
Birds are the greatest wealth of the park. Over 200 species have been described and almost all of them have conservation status. The Belene complex of islands is considered to be one of the five most important habitats of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), the pygmy cormorant (Palacrocorax pygumeus), the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), the squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides), the little egret (Egretta garzetta), the great egret (Egretta alba), the purple heron (Ardea purpurea), the Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), the glossy ibises (Plegadis falcneus), the ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca), the common tern and the little tern (Sterna hirundo and Sterna albifrons).
Batova River valley
Maintained reserve Baltata is located next to Albena Resort, where Batova River flows into the Black Sea. It covers one of the preserved northernmost floodplain oak, elm and hornbeam forests in Bulgaria. Suitable place to watch waterfowl, especially during migration.
Kaliakra Complex
The place is also interesting for birdwatching. During migration, over 100 bird species can be seen. Several cormorant species and other fish-eating birds nest and feed on the rocky shores, including the rare European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis).