Area: 218,31 ха
Ownership: state - 100%
Description:
A newly formed island on the Danube (km 715), covered with young tree vegetation, located east of Ibisha Island and north-east of the village of Gorni Tsibar. Typical for the island are the big sand deposits of fine sand that change their size depending on the river water level. At certain places the sand strips are overgrown with willow shrubs. The island’s central part is covered by a young forest of White Willow Salix alba and White Poplar Populus alba, which gets thinner towards its eastern and western ends.
Birds:
The island near Gorni Tsibar is of international importance for the globally threatened Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus and for the Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo that constantly use it as a roost both in the breeding season and during the seasonal shifts and migration. During migration the island is a preferable roosting site for the Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia and for the globally threatened Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus.
Threats:
The overgrowth of the island with poplars and willows, caused by natural succession, limits the open areas suitable for roosting Dalmatian Pelican. The island is small and the fishery boats passing near its banks disturb the resting pelicans and cormorants. Big investment projects related to international transport corridor No1 – Danube River will cause permanent change in the hydrological regime of the river as well as disappearance of shallow waters around the island.
Legal protection:
The area does not have legal protection under national conservation legislation. In 1997 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. The proposed SPA borders a proposed Special Protection Area in Romania.
