BIRDS OF THE MEADOW ORCHARDS
Meadow orchards are the intermediate space between forest and farmland, created by man’s transformation of the original landscape. These orchards are an exceptional habitat for some rare and endangered bird species in the Kozjansko Regional Park. This is where the following birds nest: wryneck (Jynx torquilla), common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), grey-headed woodpecker (Picus Canus), little owl (Athene noctua), European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), Eurasian scops owl (Otus scops), Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops), European green woodpecker (Picus viridis) … A large part of the Kozjansko Regional Park has been declared a Nature 2000 Special Protection Area – Kozjansko – due to the birds.
The large, branching canopy provides nesting birds with plenty of shelter and nesting opportunities, while the large trunks and thicker branches are suitable for cavities, which are the home of cavity-nesting birds.
The grassland under tall fruit trees is used for mowing or grazing by animals, and is also home to many insects used by birds for food.
