The Heřmanský State – Oder River – Poolší Bird Area 1
The Olza Floodplain 20
Basic information
The Olza river floodplain is home to many protected animal and plant species. Former meanders of this floodplain and a well-preserved river terrace around Věřňovice with its mostly linear accompanying vegetation and soft meadows are an ideal shelter for these species. A part of this area belongs to Věřňovice Natural Monument which encompasses 4,59 hectares and was established in order to protect the vegetation of its floodplain forest in 1989. Věřňovice Natural Monument is regarded as one of Sites of Community Importance (SCI) as is it a part of The Olza River Floodplain– Věřňovice Protected Area which was established in order to protect brown hermit Osmoderma eremita and yellow-bellied toad Bombina variegata within an area of 553,9969 hectares. Apart from that, this area also belongs to Heřmanský the state – The Oder River – Poolší Bird Area which is located in the northeastern part of Moravian-Silesian Region near the Polish border. This area is based upon the Oder river (in the lenght of cca 10 km) and the Olza river (in the length of cca 16 km) including adjacent river floodplains. Karviná ponds system and the stretch of the Petrůvka river border are connected from the east, pond systems in Rychvald, Bohumín – Záblatí and Heřmanice are connected form the south. The total extent of this bird area is 3100,8670 hectares.
Subject of protection
The following species are the main subjects of protection in this bird area: the Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus, the Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis and the Bluethroat Luscinia svecica. Except from that many rare amphibians, birds and other animals can be found there. One of these is also the endangered Sand Martin Riparia riparia.
Sand Martin Riparia riparia
The Sand Martin Riparia riparia nests on steep walls of sandpits, brickyards, river and brook banks. It makes a burrow more than one meter deep which ends by a nesting chamber lined with feathers and grass. Both parents build the nest, sit on eggs and take care of the young. They nest in colonies. The Sand Martin is a migratory species wintering in South America, in Africa south to Sahara and in India. Their numbers are rapidly decreasing in the Czech Republic, as well as in the rest of Europe.
Riparia riparia
Useful information
Contact information Regional Authority of the Moravian-Silesian Region, Department of the Environment and Agriculture 28. října 117, 702 18 Ostrava www.kr-moravskoslezsky.cz Phone: +420 595 622 297
