Pripyat Marshes

Pripyat Marshes Belarus

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. 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. Nearly 200 bird species breed in here and more than 250 have been recorded in total.

Breeding birds of the marshes include all five European grebes, Black and White Storks, Common Crane, Corn Crake and both Spotted and Little Crakes. Gadwall, Garganey, Common Pochard and Ferruginous Duck all breed as well as Little Gull, Little Tern and Black and White-winged Terns. Waders include Terek Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit and Great Snipe. Raptors of Pripyat include such exciting species as Greater and Lesser Spotted Eagles, White-tailed Eagle and Black Kite. More wooded areas host Western Capercaillie, Black Grouse and Hazel Grouse, eight species of woodpeckers, including White-backed, 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.

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 Raccon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides. Also present but rarely seen are Lynx Felis lynx and Grey Wolf Canis lupus.

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.

Birds

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, Western Honey-Buzzard, Black Kite, White-tailed Eagle, 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, Capercaillie, Common Quail, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Corn Crake, Common Snipe, Great Snipe, Woodcock, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Little Gull, Little Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Stock Dove, 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, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Common Wren, Dunnock, Eurasian Robin, Thrush Nightingale, Bluethroat, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, 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, Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Azure Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Penduline Tit, Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Common Jay, Nutcracker, Common Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Northern Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Common Rosefinch, Hawfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting

Content and images originally posted by Steve