State: Sofia, Sofia stolitsaArea: 2251,16 ха
Ownership: state - 6%; municipality - 20%; private - 74%;
Description:
A swampy area in the plain of Sofia, between the villages of Dolni Bogrov and Kazichene, intersected by drainage canals. In winter the marshy spots do not freeze because of the mineral spring feeding them. The main habitat is meadows and pastures, overgrown with mesophyte grass vegetation, dominated by Festuca pratensis, Poa sylvicola, Lolium perenne, etc. (Bondev 1991). The height of the grass stand reaches 1-1.2 m. At certain spots there are groups of willows Salix spp., reed Phragmites australis and reed mace Typha spp..
Birds:
The area is of international importance for the globally threatened Corncrake Crex crex, breeding there. Four more globally threatened species occur there too – the Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca during the breeding season and the Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus, Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni and the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola during migration. The only colony of Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax in Sofia Plain is situated there – in the Dolni Bogrov lake. The complex of meadows and wetlands is an important habitat for 22 species of European conservation concern (BirdLife International, 2004). Apart from the species mentioned above the area provides suitable habitats for 11 other species of European Union importance included in Annex I of the Bird Directive. They occur in the area mainly during migration. Ten species are included into the Red Data Book for Bulgaria as threatened or rare.
Threats:
The area is situated close to the capital of Bulgaria, where infrastructure is well developed, the surrounded settlements are densely populated and expand their territories continuously. In the region north of Dolni Bogrov – Kazichene a big industrial complex is situated. The continuing urbanization and infrastructure development increases the pressure on the area and could cause rapid isolation and deterioration of habitats important for birds. Leisure activities and sport fishing around wetlands during the breeding season, as well as hunting activities, are the reasons for significant disturbance to birds.
Legal protection:
Less than 1% of the territory of Dolni Bogrov-Kazichene is designated as protected area. The “Blatata” Protected Area was designated in 1993 for the protection of rare and threatened bird species, mainly waterbirds. In 1997 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
