The Srebarna Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake adjacent to the Danube river and extending over 600 ha. It is situated 16km to the west of Silistra and is the breeding ground of almost 100 species of birds, many of which are rare or endangered. The reserve is one of the stops on the international bird migration route, Via Pontica, which explains the large bird population there. The total number of bird species, including those that migrate or take shelter every winter, comes up to 221. Among the most interesting bird species are the Dalmatian pelican, which has its only colony in Bulgaria in Srebarna, the great egret, night heron, purple heron, glossy ibis and white spoonbill. In additional to rare birds, the reserve is populated by 44 mammal, 23 fish, 10 amphibian and 11 reptile species. In turn, its flora is represented by about 300 different types of plants.
The first step for protecting the lake’s flora and fauna was made as early as 1942 when the lake was declared a protected area for its being an important nesting place of waterfowl. In 1948 it was pronounced as a reserve, while cutting of reed was banned. In 1977 Srebarna was included in the “Man and Biosphere” programme pf UNESCO and was declared a biosphere reserve, while in 1983 it entered UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The reserve keeps a museum of natural science and an ecological station of the Bulgarian Academy of Science and is open to visitors and birdwatchers.
