Status of the bird fauna from "Carei Plain" natural protected area, north western Romania, in 2011.

In the year 2011 we identified in "Carei Plain" Nature 2000 site (ROSCI0020) 134 bird species, 28 of them being included in Annex 1 of Birds' Directive. Out of the total, 105 species are breeding birds in the protected area. Aquatic birds, semi-aquatic birds and raptors are in decline in the region. This can be the consequence of the drainage of almost all wetlands from the region, but could also be the result of the drought registered in the summer and fall of 2011. Even if in Carei Plain there are only a few natural forest fragments, the forest birds are well represented, occupying also atypical habitats, such as areas with reeds, shrubs and bushes on the edge of artificial reservoirs. As in the case of other groups, the bird fauna of Carei Plain also have some zoogeographical features. Thus, in the area we saw in summer Motacilla cinerea pairs with juvenile, a species which breeds in Romanian mountains. Also, in early November in the protected site were present both summer and winter visitors as Pernis apivorus and Buteo lagopus. Generally, the birds of Carei Plain show negative trends, being threatened by human activities. Their protection depends on stopping the damage of natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]