Читать книгу The Islands of Croatia. 30 walks on 14 Adriatic islands онлайн

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A useful resource for identifying the reptiles and amphibians of Europe is www.herp.it.

Birds

The cliffs at Beli on the island of Cres constitute the last remaining habitat of the enormous Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Croatia. The birds are huge, with a wingspan of some 2.5 metres, and feed on carrion (historically, sheep carcasses, although a decline in sheep farming has meant there are fewer of these today). If approaching the cliffs by boat it is essential that engines are switched off and that the boat doesn’t get too close, otherwise it’s not uncommon for the young birds to try to escape their nests before they’re able to fly – and fall into the sea and drown. Smaller birds of prey include Common buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine falcon and Eleonora’s falcon.

Waders and wildfowl can be found in areas of brackish marshland such as Saline on Veliki Brijuni and Veliko blato among the saltpans of Pag, including Little egret, Grey heron, Purple heron and Great crested grebe, as well as rarer species such as Great white egret. Seabirds and shorebirds include Black-headed and Yellow-legged gull, Eurasian black tern, Cory’s shearwater and Pygmy cormorant, as well as the rare Audouin’s gull on the islets of the Lastovo archipelago.