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This study presents for the first time summarized data on 759 species/taxa (628 species at least) of six classes of Quaternary vertebrates of Bulgaria: Chondrichthyes (1); Actinopterygii (34); Amphibia (18); Reptilia (33); Aves (299); and Mammalia (374). The richest fauna has been recorded in the Late Pleistocene (285 species), followed by the Calabrian (255). Bulgaria has lost 32.3% of its former total Quaternary vertebrate fauna. The number of the lost taxa is as follows: species (245), genera (80), families (16), orders (5), of them three mammalian (Perissodactyla, Proboscidea, and Primates), and two avian (Otidiformes and Pteroclidiformes). Extinct families are: one amphibian (Palaeobatrachidae); two reptilian (Varanidae and Elapidae); three avian (Gruidae, Otididae, and Pteroclididae), and ten mammalian (Dipodidae, Eomyidae, Hystricidae, Ochotonidae, Hyaenidae, Phocidae, Equidae, Rhinocerotidae, Elephantidae, and Cercopithecidae). After the small mammals (mainly Cricetidae; 52 taxa), the composition of bovids (27 taxa) and canids (13 taxa) impoverished in a higher extent. The biggest number of recorded vertebrate families is found in the Meghalayan (79), followed by the Greenlandian (63) and the Late Pleistocene (62). At order and family levels, the most varied was the vertebrate fauna in the Meghalayan (39 orders, 79 families). In the Calabrian, the number of genera was a three times greater than in the Northgrippian, which indicates more diversified paleoenvironment. One genus, 25 species, and one subspecies have been described as new to the science from the Quaternary localities in Bulgaria.

The paper presents first find (a cervical vertebra – atlas) of Strix nebulosa in the Late Pleistocene of CN Bulgaria from the Devetashka Cave (ca. 70 000 BP). It is the first record on the Balkan Peninsula, tenth and the southernmost record of the Great Grey Owl in Europe and the Palearctic.

Seven species and domestic forms of birds have been reported through 155 bone remains from the medieval Bulgarian capital Pliska, collected in 2012 and 2018. It is assumed that the mute swan and the hooded crow were used for food.

An analysis of the geographical and altitudinal distribution of remains of the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) in Bulgaria is given. The paper summarizes all scattered data on the distribution of the species gathered in the last 114 years, only a part of them having been published before. Data on nine fossil localities (early–latest Pleistocene) from six provinces of Bulgaria are presented. The Fossil record proves the wide species distribution in the riverine foothills of mountains, plains, and lowlands of the country. Its Pleistocene localities were concentrated in the Danubian Plain, although the species was recorded also in the southernmost part of the country. About 90 percent of the localities were situated below 400 m a. s. l., although the species’ altitudinal distribution reached the maximum of 750 m a. s. l. All findings of the wooly rhinoceros in Bulgaria were made together with those of some species that now inhabit deciduous woodlands or rocky massifs of the temperate zone – Cervus elaphus, Capreolus capreolus, Rupicapra rupicapra, or Capra ibex, as well as extinct Bos primigenius. In Bulgaria, C. antiquitatis showed the same habitat preferences as in the core parts of the species range in Siberia. The Bulgarian localities of findings were both natural habitats and former human dwellings.

Several avian taxa of the Upper Miocene locality of Hipparion fauna, located near the town of Hadzhidimovo (Blagoevgrad region, SW Bulgaria), have been found to date: Buteo spassovi (Boev & Kovachev, 1998); Circaetus rhodopensis (Boev, 2012); Falco bulgaricus (Boev, 2011); Euroceros bulgaricus (Boev & Kovachev, 2007); and Struthio karatheodoris (Boev & Spassov, 2009; Boev et al., 2008). The present paper aims to represent a new find of a medium-sized accipitrid, comparable in size to the two hitherto established species, Buteo spassovi and Circaetus rhodopensis, from the same locality and horizon.

Two adult individuals of the Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus were observed on 31.12.2021 in the shallow basins in the southern part of the Atanasovsko Lake near Burgas.

An observation of an adult bird on the 20th August 2022 along the shore of Bozalan (Bakardere) Reservoir near Verinsko village (CW Bulgaria) is reported. This is the first species’ record in the last 132 years in that part of the country.

Two families, 8 genera, 12 species, and 13 subspecies of recent owls are recorded in Bulgaria. Two species (Bubo scandiacus and Strix nebulosa), established in the Pleistocene localities, disappeared from the country’s recent avifauna. The southernmost limits of the European breeding ranges of three species (Stix uralensis, Aegolius funereus, and Glaucidium passerinum) pass through the territory of Bulgaria. Three species are endangered, 2—vulnerable, 1—threatened, and all the 12 species are protected by law. Earliest record of owls came from Gelasian (2.5 Mya) and Calabrian (1.6 Mya). Bone finds of two Early Pleistocene localities are incompletely identified (as Asio and Athene, respectively). The find of Athene sp. is determined as the oldest European record of that genus. Some anthropogenic factors that cause owl mortality are also presented.

The bird fauna of the Loutra Almopias Cave comprised eight orders, 22 families, 41 genera and at least 47 species (68 different taxa) established based on 551 avian bone finds. The Loutra Almopias Cave is a new (26th) Pleistocene avian locality in Greece. About 92.5% of the material was dated to the Earliest Holocene (11.230 ± 110 y. BP), coming from the upper chamber of the cave, whereas an older assemblage was dated to the Late Pleistocene (37,880 y. ± 370/360 BP), coming from the floor chambers of the cave. Here is provided the first fossil record of 13 species in Greece (Buteo lagopus, Francolinus francolinus, Lagopus lagopus, Bonasa bonasia, Dryocopus martius, Lulula arborea, Bombicylla garrulus, Cinclus cinclus, Sylvia borin, Carduelis carduelis, Loxia curvirostra, Plectrophenax nivalis, and Emberiza cirlus). Three genera (Francolinus, Anthus and Riparia/Ptyonoprogne) were established for the first time in Pleistocene deposits in the country. The record of Fr. francolinus was the first one for the Balkans and Eastern Europe. At both sites inside the cave, regardless of their different age, the habitat preferences of the identified bird species indicated that the surrounding paleoenvironment included both grassy openlands (dominated by gramineans) and woodland (coniferous or mixed woods). In addition, rocky habitats were represented in the surroundings of the locality. The presence of small species of Perdicinae (26%) and corvids (34%) indicated the former existence and prevelance of open grassy fields and rocky environments. The Alpine chough was the most abundant species at both localities. In the Earliest Holocene it comprised 29.5%, whereas in the Late Pleistocene it reached 25.6% of the material. Such a representation suggests a natural non-human accumulation of the material, probably due to the feeding behavior of Bubo bubo. The Late Pleistocene record (19 taxa; 41 finds) included Falco sp. cf. F. peregrinus, Perdix perdix, Perdix sp., Alectoris graeca, Alectoris sp., Lagopus cf. lagopus, cf. Bonasa bonasia, Columba livia, Columba palumbus, Bubo bubo, Melanocorhypha calandra, Anthus sp., Turdus sp., Pica pica, Pyrrhocorax graculus, Loxia curvirostra, Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Fringillidae gen. indet., non-Passeriformes indet. and also suggests the site has been used by the eagle owl. The climate probably used to be drier and cooler than in the Earliest Holocene. The record of 17 woodland species from the Earliest Holocene that were absent in the Late Pleistocene could be explained by the more humid and moderate climate at the very end of the Pleistocene.

A rare case of contemporaneous nesting of five species of birds in a single nest is described.

This paper presents and analyses for the first time all data on bird images of two Late Antique basilicas of the Roman period (5th-6th c. AD) in the town of Sandanski (SW Bulgaria). A total of eight species have been recognised on the floor mosaics of both basilicas: Anas platyrhynchos, Bucephala clangula, Dendrocygna viduata, Nettapus coromandelianus, Marmaronetta angustirostris, Porphyrio porphyrio, Psittacula krameri, and Sypheotides indicus. Exotic birds of Palaeotropic (Ethiopian) and Indomalayan (Oriental) distribution confirm once again the active ancient Roman contacts with East and Trans-Saharan Africa and the Hindustan Peninsula.

A total of 16 taxa (8 species/forms at least) of 6 orders represented by 116 avian bone finds dated ca. 2400 BP are studied. Among them: Anas platyrhynchos, Anser anser, Buteo buteo, Gallus gallus domestica, Grus grus, Ciconia ciconia, Corvus cornix, Turdus cf. torquatus. Both poultry breeding and hunting of wild birds were practiced. Domestic chickens represent 68.9 % of all finds. Common Crane was a hunted bird and represents 5.4 % of the collected finds. A review of the distribution of the white stork and hooded crow in the ancient settlements in Bulgaria is presented.

The subfossil fauna discovered in 2019 from the northern fortification walls of Serdica (Sofia, Bulgaria) comprises a total of 36 species/taxa of wild and domestic animals, established through the analysis of 11,308 animal remains excavated from the centre of the city of Sofia. Wild carnivores were well represented by Canis lupus, Canis aureus, Vulpes vulpes, Felis silvestris, Lynx lynx, Meles meles and Ursus arctos, along with the remains of Bos primigenius and Camelus bactrianus, as well as finds of Bubalus bubalis, Dama dama and Silurus glanis. Some aquatic (Ardea cinerea, Anser erythropus, Anas platyrhynchos) and openland (Otis tarda, Grus grus) birds, and two diurnal raptors (Gyps fulvus, Buteo buteo) were also noted. Over 20% of these species have now disappeared from the Sofia Valley. Bos taurus, Equus ferus caballus, Sus scrofa domestica, Ovis aries, and Capra hircus are the most common domestic animals. The domestic cattle were of brachycerous type. The majority of domestic chickens were of the bantam size/type.

Avian remains presented here were collected from the deposits spanning between late MIS 5 to 3, and give a rare opportunity to observe Last Interglacial/Last Glacial avian succession in the Central Balkans. The Late Pleistocene avifauna from Pešturina cave (Niš District, SE Serbia), comprises 26 taxa from 18 families and 10 orders, 16 of which are reported for the first time from Pleistocene deposits of the Central Balkans. Today, these species live in a variety of habitats – open grassland, forest, rocky, and aquatic habitats. The species from forest habitat were the most abundant. All species (еxcept black grouse) are present in the country’s modern avifauna. The cave provides some examples of “mixed” Pleistocene avifaunas, including species both of Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean/temperate present day distribution. The occurrence of rock sparrow marks one of the northernmost Pleistocene ones in Europe so far, while presence of other species is suggestive for complex mosaic ecosystems, which probably characterized Last Glacial landscapes in the Central Balkans, at least until the LGM.