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
Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius)
Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius) is one of 10 woodpeckers found in Poland. It is slightly smaller than the great spotted woodpecker, has a round head and its belly has a distinctly dark hatching. Both sexes are similarly colored, with the male's colors being more intense and the cap extending deeper to the back of the head. The Middle Spotted Woodpecker inhabits forests, parks and gardens with old deciduous trees. It willingly settles in riparian forests and in the vicinity of meadows, pastures and clearings. Holes are forged in rotten trunks, which can serve him for several years. It feeds on insects and their larvae, which it does not forge from wood, but collects food among the leaves and nooks and crannies of the bark by jumping on the branches. In addition, it eats tree sap. It moves like other birds (not only in an upright position like other woodpeckers) and can sit across the branch and even hang on it. The greatest threat to the Middle Spotted Woodpecker is cutting down mature deciduous stands and old, dying or dead trees. Observation of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker in Roztocze is an attraction for visitors to this region.
Spring Birdsong - Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Spring is the time of greatest vocal activity of all birds. Males mark territories with their singing and defend them from other males during the breeding season. An important role of singing is to attract the female. Males singing louder and prettier are first chosen by the female. What counts is the quality of the singing or its faithful reproduction, and sometimes perseverance. Birds reveal their location to potential predators with their singing, which puts them at risk of losing their lives, which is why singing after the breeding season is already limited. Birds should not be lured with their voices recorded from a loudspeaker, especially during the breeding season, as this may result in a predator attack or loss of broods. Birds, apart from singing, make various voices, e.g. a warning against an approaching predator or other threat. Outside the breeding season, birds make contact calls, which is particularly important during migration and is used to maintain the flock or find other migrating individuals.
The chaffinch is the most common songbird in Poland. Her repertoire is relatively rich. In addition to singing, the chaffinch makes voices: warning, escaping or calling for rain (on the video). Some birds produce many different kinds of calls (Great Tit over 200). Others imitate the voices of other birds (Jay) and some can even learn the voices indicated by humans (Parrots). Learning to recognize bird songs and voices is the basic knowledge for observing and recognizing birds.
Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is the bird of our fields and meadows
Pheasant is a bird imported from Asia in the 16th century, which impresses with its exotic beauty. This applies to the male pheasant, which is 90 cm long thanks to its tail. Its metallic, turquoise-green-purple head and neck with a sumptuous set of "jewellery", prominent patches of red warty skin around the eyes, a white collar around its neck, a rusty brown body, a shimmering chestnut chest covered with black and also white spots on the wings resemble a beautiful fabric that gleams in the sun. Pheasant females - hens have an ash-brown coat covered with dark spots resembling the shape of a horseshoe. The tail is long, pointed, reaching up to 70 cm in length. They often hide in the brush with their young, which have similar plumage to their mother. In the spring, males walk through fields and meadows, starting to occupy territories. They speak in a characteristic voice announcing to everyone the establishment of their territory. Each male fights with rivals for territory and his own harem, which can have up to a dozen hens, but usually there are 3 or 4. Broods of pheasants, like other ground-nesting birds, are at risk of being lost due to: fields, prolonged rains, the use of chemicals in the fields and numerous predators. Observations of pheasants tooting is a great pleasure for each of us.
Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus)
The Grey-headed Woodpecker is very similar to the Green Woodpecker. The color of the head and nape of the green woodpecker is gray with a small red spot on the forehead, and only in males. The Gray- headed Woodpecker calls out in spring with a loud, falling whistle. It inhabits overexposed deciduous and mixed forests bordering on open areas, afforestation and rows of trees in river valleys, old large parks, and beech forests. It is a rare breeding bird that carves holes in dead or withering deciduous trees, usually at a height of several meters. It feeds on insects and ants which it collects on the ground and from tree branches. In the spring, it eagerly drinks tree sap, while in the summer it eats various seeds and berries. This species is endangered due to the excessive exploitation of old stands and the liquidation of woodlots in river valleys. March is the mating season for woodpeckers and right now is the best opportunity to observe these unique birds in Roztocze.