Europe - Romania

Romania is situated in south-eastern Europe, close to the geographical centre of the continent. It borders Ukraine to the north, Moldova to the north-east, Bulgaria to the south, Yugoslavia to the south-west and Hungary to the west. The landscape is varied and is dominated by the majestic arc of the Carpathian Mountains (highest peak Moldoveanu, 2,544 m), embracing the Transylvanian Plateau. In western and southern Romania there are extensive plains where agricultural lands have largely replaced natural vegetation. Many rivers traverse Romania and it is bordered to the south by the Danube and the Black Sea Coast.

Key habitats: Forests cover about 27% of Romania (Quercus predominates, also Fagus, Picea and dwarf Pinus). Subalpine and alpine grasslands grow at high altitudes. Approximately 45% of Romania's land area is under agriculture, including arable land, pasture and hay-meadows, also perennial crops (orchards and vineyards). In Romania, the Danube Delta covers 4,536 km2, making it the largest European wetland after the Volga Delta, and includes the most extensive reedbeds in the world. Sand dunes, sandy beaches and several fresh- or salt-water lakes are found along the Black Sea Coast. Wetlands, fishponds and reservoirs are present at 30 Important Bird Areas. On the lower Danube alone, wetlands cover around half a million hectares.

Total number of bird species recorded: 380 Globally threatened bird species: 7 breeding and 6 non-breeding Near Threatened bird species: 5 Important Bird Areas: 44 (6 more awaiting designation)

Threats: Significant threats include agricultural intensification, poor landscape planning, habitat fragmentation, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, aquaculture/fisheries, dredging/canalisation, drainage, deforestation for commercial use, construction and impact of dykes and dams, tourism, water, soil and air pollution.

Of medium impact are grazing in forests, selective logging/cutting, firewood collection, intensified forest management, afforestation with non-native species, stubble burning after harvesting, introduced animals and plants, infrastructure, industrialisation/urbanisation.

Number of National Parks: 17, including three Biosphere Reserves; Danube Delta, Retezat Mts and Rodna Mts.

The BirdLife Partner: Romanian Ornithological Society (ROS)/BirdLife Romania. Date founded: 30 May 1990. Members: 1,500

Major programmes/areas of work: ROS's research focuses on the Important Bird Areas (IBA) Programme, the study and protection of rare and endangered bird species, the study of bird migration, the monitoring of certain bird species, the distribution of Romania's breeding birds and the compilation of species action plans. 44 IBAs have been selected, a further six sites are documented, and a network of local co-ordinators has been established to monitor and report back on their status.

Regional projects with neighbouring countries involve the study and protection of species including Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris, Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis, Corncrake Crex crex, White stork Ciconia ciconia, Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus, and White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala. ROS has contributed data to all major publications by BirdLife International and Wetlands International on south-eastern Europe and Romania.

Text supplied by Birdlife International

Pygmy Cormorant © Glyn Sellors

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