Slovakia is the only country to bring back the roller
Among the countries where the European roller went extinct, only Slovakia has successfully brought it back. The LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS project plays a vital role in this story.
Roller spotted near Šoporňa during breeding season
A European roller was seen hunting above a biostrip near Šoporňa. The sighting during the breeding season shows there’s hope it could return as a nesting species—if we help with targeted conservation measures.
Ground squirrels are social animals. More numerous colonies are stronger.
The European ground squirrels are animals that live in large groups. In ideal conditions, they will grow to several thousand members and gradually colonise the surrounding landscape, provided it is suitable and there is low vegetation – grassland, or mown lawns or meadows.
Red-footed falcon is Bird of the Year 2024
The red-footed falcon has been chosen by SOS/BirdLife Slovakia as Bird of the Year 2024 to raise awareness about the importance of its protection. These falcons travel over 7,000 kilometers from Africa to their breeding grounds—facing many dangers along the way.
Will you join us in butterfly collection?
In order to be able to implement targeted conservation measures for the protection and conservation of endangered butterfly species, it is necessary to know as many locations of these species and their host plants as possible at the current time. We are turning to you – nature lovers, who would like to help us with butterfly mapping.
What we accomplished in 2023
Last year, we managed to successfully collect €100,000 to save a wetlands, launch several projects, release sturgeons into the Danube, restore grazing in several locations and even change the name, logo and visual identity.
SCI Čiližské močiare just got a new “pond.”
Competition for water is high in the Danubian Lowland, especially during spring and summer. During those seasons, the water from the melioration canals is used to irrigate the surrounding fields.
European Roller (Coracias garrulus) has returned to breed after being locally extinct for 10 years
Slovakia is the only country in Europe where the European Roller (Coracias garrulus) has returned to breed after being locally extinct for 10 years—thanks largely to dedicated conservation efforts.
The Influence of Simulated Floods on the Reproduction of Amphibians in the Danube River Branch System
We continued with the monitoring of amphibians at the locations of Dobrohošť, Kráľovská lúka, Bakanské rameno and its surroundings, Istragov and Dedinské ostrovy.
The Romanian project partner – Fundatia ADEPT Transilvania – carried out butterfly monitoring
Three expert teams carried out inventory/mapping of butterflies in the 10 Natura 2000 sites. This involved 37 transects, each surveyed during 3 different periods, in order to identify species with varying flight times.