Academy of Nature in Roztocze
The best experience with the Academy of Nature in Roztocze
A passion for birdwatching combined with an excellent knowledge of the terrain ensures an exciting experience every morning. Active rest in the fresh air in a group of several people is an opportunity to establish mutual relations and get to know the unique nature of Roztocze.
RegisterEnjoy bird watching with the Academy of Nature in Roztocze
Bird watching in the morning is a real emotion and positive energy for the whole day. Birdwatching combined with cycling gives wings to the mind and body. This elite hobby is achievable for all of us.
Upcoming expeditions
We offer trips Bird & Bike and Bird & Car, which provide observations of the most interesting species of birds living in Roztocze. The offer is constantly modified and takes into account changes in the number of individual bird species related to their biology and current environmental conditions.
Autumn bird migrations
Autumn bird migrations
Autumn bird migrations
Autumn bird migrations
Autumn bird migrations
Autumn bird migrations
News from Roztocze
Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) in the winter
Goldfinch is one of our most colorful birds, slightly smaller than a sparrow. In winter, Goldfinches gather in flocks and can be easily observed feeding on the seeds of thistles, burdocks or other weeds. During the harsh winter, they sometimes visit the feeders, and their favorite delicacy is the seeds of the Abyssinian oiler. In summer, invertebrates are included in their diet. They are extremely sociable birds. Their singing is very chattering and brings a joyful mood. Goldfinches inhabit lowland forests, alleys and orchards, but also parks. These birds move very quickly and among the branches of trees and bushes, and they fly to the ground quite rarely. It is a medium-sized breeding bird of the whole country. Its habitats are threatened by the simplification of the agricultural landscape and the use of plant protection products. Goldfinches can be observed in Roztocze all year round.
Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) the winter guest in the feeder.
Greenfinch is an olive green bird in the finch family, with a yellow tint on the edges of the wings and the base of the tail. The female is grayer with less yellow. The beak is short, wide and strong, adapted to the type of food consumed. It eats mainly the seeds of trees and plants, which are perfectly peeled from the shells. In winter, he eats sunflower and cereal seeds. When he visits the feeder, he does not tolerate other birds and chases them from the feeder. It lives in parks and gardens near human settlements. The nest is mostly founded on spruce. In the past, Greenfinches, just like Goldfinches, were bred by people for their beautiful singing. Today, these birds are less and less observed in feeders in winter, but you can still enjoy their view in Roztocze.
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) is most cammon owl in Poland
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) is the most common owl in Poland, which, like other owls, feeds mainly on rodents, it also does not disdain smaller birds, earthworms, lizards, snakes and even bats. This owl with greyish-brown feathers, the construction of which enables noiseless flight at night, is a bird of prey and territorial. In early spring, preferably on clear and windless nights, you can hear their voice. Males call females and females respond. They become silent when incubating the eggs. Young tawny owls call for food from their parents and only then can you realize that they are present in a given place. Tawny Owls lead a sedentary lifestyle and sometimes occupy specific places in old hollow trees for years, which are less and less due to uncontrolled logging. At the same time, the use of chemicals in agriculture and the use of poisons for rodents in open areas, as well as collisions with vehicles at night, are associated with a decrease in the number of these beneficial birds in Poland.
Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) in Roztocze
Nutcracker is a bird from the crow family, very alert and skittish. It inhabits vast spruce, pine, fir and mixed forests, preferably with an admixture of hazel. Its delicacy is nuts, but it also eats acorns, fir seeds, or pine trees in the mountains, it also does not disdain insects, larvae and invertebrates. In autumn, it stores nuts in various places in the forest (some in the ground, some in hollows). These industrious birds are usually unable to exhaust all the reserves accumulated for the winter, or they forget about some of them, thus contributing to the creation of diverse forest ecosystems. Nutcracker is found mainly in the mountains (Carpathians, Sudetes), islands in eastern Poland and Pomerania, and also in single sites in the Lublin region, including Roztocze. Its habitats are shrinking due to the cutting down of old forests and the creation of forest monocultures. Meeting these rare birds in Roztocze is a great event for birdwatchers.