Austria

Austria is packed with diverse wildlife habitats. There are wonderful Alpine areas where Alpine Chough, Alpine Accentor, Water Pipit, White-throated Dipper and Wallcreeper reside, and mature deciduous and coniferous forests with Nutcracker, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Capercaillie, Hazel Grouse, 10 woodpecker species and a range of owls. In the east, the Neusiedlersee-Seewinkel-Hanság NP is home to lowland and wetland birds such as Great Bustard, Eastern Imperial Eagle, breeding and passage wildfowl and waders. Warblers include Barred, Icterine, River, Moustached and Savi’s.

Czechia

Czechia (Czech Republic) is a surprisingly neglected birding destination. There are high mountains, dense forests, peat bogs, riverine woods, old parklands and many fish ponds. Key areas include the Trebonsko Basin, Nové Mlyny Reservoirs, Soutok Floodplain, Pálava Hills and Sumava. Special birds are White-tailed Eagle, Black Grouse, Corncrake, Eurasian Pygmy, Tengmalm’s, Ural and Eagle Owls, 10 woodpecker species and masses of geese in winter. There are also Europe’s only wild-breeding, “countable” Reeve’s Pheasants. For more details see pages 53-73 in Birding in Eastern Europe.

Slovakia

Slovakia’s best birding is arguably in its spectacular mountains and forests, where species such as Hazel Grouse, Eurasian Pygmy, Ural and Eagle Owls and 10 woodpeckers occur. Raptors include Eastern Imperial, Golden and Lesser Spotted Eagles, Goshawk and Saker. Birds of the highest elevations, in the High and Low Tatras, include Wallcreeper, Water Pipit, Lesser Redpoll and Alpine Accentor. Lowland fishponds and floodplains can be productive for wetland birds, too. In the very east both Common and Thrush Nightingales breed. For more details see pages 216-237 in Birding in Eastern Europe.

Hungary

Hungary combines excellent lowland birding with forested hills. Great birding sites include the lowland Kiskunság and Hortobágy, the Aggtelek, Bükk and Zemplén Hills, Lakes Tata, Velence, Balaton and Tisza and many productive fish-farm systems. Special birds include breeding Ferruginous Duck, Red-footed Falcon, Saker, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Great Bustard, warblers such as Barred, River and Icterine and 9 woodpeckers. In autumn, over 100,000 Cranes stop over on passage, and geese, including Lesser White-fronted, winter in good numbers. For more details see pages 100-124 in Birding in Eastern Europe.

Croatia

Croatia has a very rich diversity of habitats, from the sea, to wetlands, to forests, to craggy mountains. Great birding sites include Kopacki Rit, Velebit Mountains, Paklenica and Krka NPs, Lake Vrana, Biokovo and islands such as Vis, Mljet, Lastovo, Pag and Cres. Special birds include Rock Partridge, Ferruginous Duck, Alpine and Pallid Swifts, Scops Owl, Eastern Orphean and Olive-tree Warblers, Sombre Tit, Rock Nuthatch, Black-headed Bunting. Some offshore islands host Eleonora’s Falcon and Cory’s and Yelkouan Shearwaters.  For more details see pages 32-52 in Birding in Eastern Europe.

Slovenia

Slovenia is a small country where mountains, including the high peaks of the Julian Alps, dominate. However, there is also the Adriatic sea coast, salt pans at Secovlje, fish-ponds, lakes and coniferous and deciduous forests - a mix of Mediterranean and Alpine habitats. Special birds include Eurasian Three-toed and White-backed Woodpeckers, Tengmalm’s, Eurasian Pygmy and Ural Owls, Nutcracker, Alpine Chough, Hazel Grouse, Rock Ptarmigan, Rock Partridge, Alpine Accentor, White-winged Snowfinch and Water Pipit.  For more details see pages 238-259 in Birding in Eastern Europe.

Great sites in this superb birding country include Szczecin Bay and the Hel Peninsula on the Baltic Coast, the Biebrza and Narew river basins, Mazurian Lake District, Siemianówka Reservoir, Białowieża and Augustowska Forests, the Tatra and Bieszczady Mountains. Special birds include a huge population of nesting White Storks, plus Slavonian Grebe, Lesser Spotted and Greater Spotted Eagles, Great Snipe, White-winged Tern, Hazel Grouse, Corncrake, Citrine Wagtail, Aquatic Warbler, both nightingales, numerous owls and 10 woodpecker species.  For more details see pages 168-191 in Birding in Eastern Europe.

Sometimes called “White Russia” this wildlife rich country is one of Europe’s must-see destinations. There are wonderful wetland reserves like Turau and Sporaŭski and old-growth forests at Bielaviežškaja Pušča. Special ‘eastern’ birds, which are often hard to see elsewhere in Europe, include Terek Sandpiper, lekking Great Snipe, Greater Spotted Eagle, Great Grey Owl, Europe’s strongest population of Aquatic Warbler, and both Citrine Wagtail and Azure Tit breed, too. Belarus is also home to ten species of woodpecker and mammals such as European Bison, Elk, Brown Bear, Lynx and Wolf. Join us!