Birdpex - Protected Bird Species (C)

European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
In late autumn, as the meadows lose their green freshness and turn inconspicuously brown, we see flocks of goldfinches visiting the heads of the plumeless thistles and teasels that are rich in seeds, and bringing life to the landscape, which is preparing to sink into hibernation, with their cheerful red and yellow feather and joyous chirping. The diet based on seeds from the flower heads of teasels and plumeless thistles (Carduus is a scientific name for the plants of the genus called plumeless thistle) is responsible equally for both the Croatian and the scientific name of these birds.

The goldfinch is a bird in the finch family, it is rather small, about 12 cm long, with uniquely colored body with a reddish-white-black head and yellow stripes on the wings. The seeds of many plant species, not only weeds but also trees, make up almost the entire diet of goldfinches. However, as with most seed-eating birds, goldfinches feed their hatchlings in the nest with insects and their larvae, as the hatchlings need to be fed protein-rich foods in order to grow. They normally lay 4 to 6 eggs in the nest and the raising of broods only takes a month. Due to this, goldfinches can have two and sometimes three broods during one nesting season.

The European goldfinch is a widespread and common bird species. They nest on trees along the open forests and the edges of forests, orchards, parks, and other open habitats with trees – usually near where humans live. They are partially migratory: a part of the bird population that migrates spends most winters in the Mediterranean, and another part is sedentary. In Croatia, goldfinches can be seen and heard around us all year round, and during the winter they are the most welcome visitors of bird feeders. They are known for their beautiful birdsong and can be heard all year round, usually in the spring. Goldfinches are popular among people thanks to their beautiful birdsong and colorful body, so they are often kept in cages as pets. In the past, people would often trap goldfinches in the wild with the intention of selling them, killing many in the process. Today, wild birds are fortunately no longer allowed to be captured, only farmed birds may be kept in cages.

Apart from the somber side of the relationship between humans and goldfinches, there is also the somewhat more beautiful one – goldfinches are a frequent motif in art. They are often found in Renaissance paintings, like Raphael’s “Madonna of the Goldfinch”, but they are also found as motifs in music, including Vivaldi’s “The Goldfinch”, a concerto for flute and orchestra.

Broad-billed sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus)
The broad-billed sandpiper belongs to a relatively large group of small to medium-sized birds called sandpipers or waders and is characterized by long legs and bills adapted to living along muddy shoals and sandy banks. While there, they feed on invertebrates hidden in the mud or sand. Due to the relatively low presence of such habitats in Croatia, there are not many of these birds in our country, while on the northern coasts of the European continent they are widespread and live in large flocks. Sandpipers have been known as absolute masters of the air, covering huge distances on migratory journeys.

Broad-billed sandpiper is a rather small sandpiper, approximately 16 to 18 cm long. Like most sandpipers, it has got plain grey, brown and white feathers. It nests in the subarctic lowlands to the north of the tundra, from the Scandinavian Peninsula to the west, where they are most numerous, and partly along northern Siberia and almost all of the eastern continental shelf. In the tundra, this sandpiper inhabits wet habitats such as bogs and other types of peatlands. As it migrates, it can be found on shallow, muddy shores along lakes, in marine lagoons and shallow wetlands. Broad-billed sandpiper is a migratory bird in Croatia – it can be spotted occasionally and in low numbers during the autumn migration. For example, from 2005 to 2016, only seven of these species were recorded in Croatia, mainly in resting areas along the Adriatic coast such as Kolansko Blato, Nin saltworks, and the estuary of the Neretva river.

It winters on the coasts in the areas with pronounced changes in the tide, in an extremely wide area of East Africa, along the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia. It spends about six months in the wintering grounds. This tiny cosmopolitan will spend about a month in the spring and about two months in the fall traveling over 6,000 kilometers between its nesting and wintering grounds. It will use the remaining three months of the year for nesting and rapid raising of three to four hatchlings during the short Arctic summer.

Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo)
Out of 13 species of owls that inhabit Europe, no less than 10 of them nest in Croatia, and the Eurasian eagle owl is the largest among them. It is one of the largest owls in the world as well the least picky one in terms of habitat selection, nesting sites, and feeding. The Croatian name of this species derives from its feathered ear tufts, which do not have an auditory function, as the ears or auditory canals are located much lower – behind the eyes. Their ear tufts allow them to communicate with other owls. Apart from the eagle owl, the long-eared owl is also rather common in Croatia – a much smaller owl species that resides near human settlements and gathers in flocks during the winter.

Measuring 160 to 190 cm in wingspan and weighing over four kilograms in exceptional cases, this predator is at the top of the food chain and is sure to leave anyone in awe. It can be found throughout the Eurasian temperate zone in forested and rocky habitats, preferably away from humans. Areas of the world that do not have “our” Eurasian eagle owl have similar and related species of eagle owl that are just as impressive, such as the Indian eagle owl and the American great horned owl, occupying a universal ecological niche open to this large nocturnal flying predator.

Eagle owls mainly feed on mammals, from voles to rabbits and birds ranging in size from pigeons to seagulls, however, their diet often includes other animals such as amphibians, reptiles, fish and even larger insects. Larger animals such as fawns and piglets, and even its rival predators such as martens, foxes and dogs can be its prey. Eagle owls will try to nest as close to their source of food as possible, and they will usually choose a nesting site on the cliffs or on the ground. Starting in early March, the breeding season of eagle owls lasts more than six months, which is one of the longest breeding seasons in the avian world. This means about one month of laying on an average of two to three eggs, at least one month of bird raising in the nest, and another six months of fostering the fledglings outside the nest. In the fall, immediately after the young start to become independent, the adult birds engage in territorial behavior, which is the prelude to a new mating cycle.

These birds are sedentary, meaning they live in the same area for the entire year. During the 20th century, the number of eagle owls decreased in several European countries as a result of hunting by humans, but the status of their population gradually improved due to the implementation of protective measures in most countries. The biggest threat to eagle owls today are transmission lines as they can get electrocuted. In the first half of the 20th century, the eagle owl became extinct in the lowland areas of Croatia, so nowadays it can be found mostly in the Croatian mountain region and on the coast, where it most frequently nests on cliffs. The population of eagle owls in Croatia is estimated at 800 to 1,200 pairs.

Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
According to Ovid’s myth, the kingfisher was created after the envious Zeus drowned Ceyx in the sea. Seeing that, Ceyx’ wife Alcyone threw herself into the sea in her grief. Other gods took pity on the fates of Ceyx and Alcyone, so they turned them into birds – the common kingfishers.

This sparrow-sized turquoise-orange bird with a long and strong beak and short tail is one of the most beautiful birds in Europe. It lives along the banks of rivers, lakes and seas, where it feeds in the shallows on fish it is preying on out of the marginal vegetation, catching them by plunging steeply and diving. Although the diet of the common kingfishers consists predominantly of fish, they also feed on insects that live in or near the water. One study showed that the common kingfisher needs to eat about half its body weight a day, and for that it needs over 30 successful dives.

They nest in the ground, by the water, in burrows they have dug themselves, which consist of an about a meter long tunnel and a small widening at its end. Males and females take 7 to 12 days to dig their nests. The female lays 6 to 7 eggs in the nest, on which both parents lie for about three weeks. Both parents also take care of the hatchlings by feeding them with the fish for the next four weeks. During these months, the nest is gradually covered in the excrement of the hatchlings and the remains of the fish, so the adults will wash themselves regularly after feeding the hatchlings.

In addition to Europe, the same type of the common kingfisher is also found in parts of southern Siberia, India, and southeast Asia. Common kingfishers from northern Europe are migratory, those from central Europe are partially migratory, particularly in harsh winters, whereas those in the south are sedentary. Migratory kingfishers tend to overwinter in the area where their species is concentrated, i.e. they do not migrate far.

Common kingfishers are widespread and are not an endangered species. There are approximately 100 thousand pairs inhabiting Europe. In Croatia, they are distributed along all types of water surfaces, and they are nesting birds, however, the birds coming from the northern part of the continent tend to arrive here during migratory seasons and in winter. Our nesting population is estimated at 700 to 1,000 pairs.

Davor Ćiković, Research Associate
Institute for Ornithology of the
Croatian Academy of Sciences and
Arts (HAZU)