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Overview
Situated in the south of Belarus the Pripyat region covers a vast area of marshes, bogs and lakes, birchwoods, pine forest and agricultural land. More than 900 sqkm of this area is protected as the Pripyatsky National Park.
Although much of this area remains a rarely visited wilderness, the Pripyat Marshes region is possibly one of the best wetland areas in the entire Western Palearctic.
Nearly 200 bird species breed here and more than 250 have been recorded in total.
Birds
Notable Species
Breeding birds of the marshes include all five European grebes, Black Stork and White Stork, Common Crane, Corn Crake and both Spotted Crake and Little Crake. Gadwall, Garganey, Common Pochard and Ferruginous Duck all breed as well as Little Gull, Little Tern and Black Tern and White-winged Tern.
Waders include Terek Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit and Great Snipe.
Raptors of Pripyat include such exciting species as Greater Spotted Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle, White-tailed Eagle and Black Kite. More wooded areas host Western Capercaillie, Black Grouse and Hazel Grouse, eight species of woodpeckers, including White-backed Woodpecker, and owls including Eurasian Eagle-Owl.
The long list of woodland passerines includes Spotted Nutcracker, Barred Warbler and Collared Flycatcher, and an eastern speciality, Azure Tit, a highly sought-after species for many Western European birders.
The area is also important as a stopover point for migrating waterfowl, particularly geese, and waders, especially in spring.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great Bittern, Grey Heron, Black Stork, White Stork, Tundra Bean Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Garganey, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, European Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Hazel Grouse, Black Grouse, Western Capercaillie, Common Quail, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Corn Crake, Common Snipe, Great Snipe, Eurasian Woodcock, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Little Gull, Little Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, European Nightjar, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Common Wren, Dunnock, Eurasian Robin, Thrush Nightingale, Bluethroat, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Eurasian River Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Aquatic Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Barred Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Common Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Azure Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Penduline Tit, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Common Jay, Spotted Nutcracker, Common Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Northern Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Rosefinch, Hawfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting
Other Wildlife
A good selection of mammals also occurs in the Pripyat Marshes including European Bison Bison bonasus, Wild Boar Sus scrofa and European Elk Alces alces, Eurasian Beaver Castor fiber, Otter Lutra lutra and the introduced Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides.
Also present but rarely seen are Lynx Lynx lynx and Grey Wolf Canis lupus.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
The national park lies about 280km south of the Belarus capital, Minsk, and the small town of Turov forms an ideal base where simple accommodation is available.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
