Birdwatching Holidays in Bulgaria | Eastern Rodopi Bird Monitoring Tour

This unique 8-day birdwatching holiday in Bulgaria has been organised in conjunction with the NGO 'Wild Rodopi', a specialist wildlife research and conservation organisation operating in the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains. During the course of this unique bird monitoring tour, you will not only visit some of the most outstanding Important Bird Areas in Bulgaria's Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, but also experience the excitement of exploring and surveying potential new bird habitats where important as yet unknown populations of rare bird species may be discovered. Unlike other standard birdwatching holidays, on these bird monitoring study tours you will not only enjoy the chance to observe and photograph some of the rarest and most interesting birds in Bulgaria, but also have an opportunity to contribute directly to bird conservation in Bulgaria by taking part in important bird surveying and monitoring projects which will help improve knowledge about the distribution and conservation of bird species in Bulgaria's Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains.

Key Target Species: Black Stork (Ciconia nigra), Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Eurasian Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes), Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae), Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar), Stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos), Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina), Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica). Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Semi-collared Flycatcher (Ficedula semitorquata). Western Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer), Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor), Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus).

Best Months

The most rewarding months for this birdwatching holiday are:

May, June

Land Only Prices

1 person = 1795 Euros

2 people = 995 Euros per person

3-4 people = 795 Euros per person

5-6 people = 595 Euros per person

Single supplement = 90 Euros

Inclusions

* 7 nights B&B accommodation in twin rooms with en suite toilet/shower

* Services of English-speaking wildlife guide and conservationist

* Services of licensed private vehicle and professional driver

NB: Unlike many other wildlife holiday companies who attempt to cut costs by making their guides have to double up as drivers, we employ separate dedicated drivers for all our trips as we believe this is not only safer but also allows our guides to concentrate fully on looking after you and finding you the wildlife!

Itinerary

Day 1: From the airport at Sofia, we transfer to our first night's hotel in a village at the northern foot of the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains. On arrival we can immediately do some birdwatching in the surrounding region.

Day 2: After breakfast, we set off north-east into the heart of the Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains. As we journey, the landscape becomes wilder and more rugged, and we penetrate a remote valley where we will make a succession of birdwatching stops in different habitats to observe and record what should be a very varied and exciting variety of birds

Day 3: A full day birdwatching and monitoring in the 'Krumovitsa' Important Bird Area. This is one of the most outstanding birdwatching regions in Bulgaria, and is known to harbour at least 136 species of birds. As well as visiting some of the classic birdwatching sites in the region, we also intend to undertake bird recording and monitoring in some remote little visited parts of the region where we are likely to make some exciting new discoveries.

Day 4: Today we begin the first of two full days of birdwatching and monitoring in the stunning 'Byala Reka' Important Bird Area. Known to support at least 167 species of birds, the 'Byala Reka' Important Bird Area is a true ornithological gem, offering a rich variety of habitats to explore.

Day 5: A second full day birdwatching and recording in the 'Byala Reka' Important Bird Area. Because of its remote location, few birdwatchers venture into this region, meaning our bird monitoring and recording activities in this region will be of great ornithological and conservation importance, and also increase the likelihood that we will make some exciting new observations.

Day 6: After the mellow terrain and lushness of the Byala Reka valley, today we are in for a contrasting change of scenery, as we spend the first part of the day exploring on foot through the heart of the 'Arda Bridge' Important Bird Area, a wild, rocky region that offers not only dramatic landscapes, but exciting birdwatching opportunities. During the course of the day, we will also spend time birdwatching in the 'Madzharovo' Important Bird Area, making today a truly memorable experience in terms of the variety of birds of prey and vultures we should be able to observe.

Day 7: Today we must regretfully draw ourselves away from the Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, and make our way back towards Sofia. However, en route we plan to stop off and do some birdwatching and monitoring in one of Bulgaria's lesser known and less visited Important Bird Areas, where we will hopefully make some interesting observations and collect some useful new data on the region's birds.

Day 8: The tour finishes after breakfast at the hotel in Sofia.

Responsible Tourism Promise

This birdwatching holiday in Bulgaria is being operated in conjunction with the wildlife research and conservation NGO 'Wild Rodopi'. Not only will the observations and research data gathered during the course of this birdwatching holiday in Bulgaria contribute directly to bird research and conservation efforts in the the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, but all profits from this birdwatching holiday in Bulgaria will be donated to the NGO 'Wild Rodopi' to help fund their bird research and monitoring projects.

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