The Oder River - Poolší Bird Area 4
Rychvald Ponds System 1
Basic information
Rychvald ponds system is powered by the Rychvald stream and it includes the following ponds: Nový rybník (New Pond), Dub (Oak), Kout (Corner), Kališok, Prostřední rybník (Middle Pond), Špice, Statkové rybníky, Skučák (between the towns Orlová and Rychvald), and Podkostelní rybník (Pond under the Church). Malý Cihelník a Velký Cihelník can be found south of Rychvald. Fishpond cultivation has had a long tradition in this area, its ponds were established already in the 15th and 16th century. Carps, tenches and small fish were bred here. Ponds also retained water to power the water mills. The whole area is mostly important from the ornithological point of view. Skučák Pond and its close surrounding were declared a nature reserve in 1969 with the aim to protect plant communities with Yellow Floating heart Nymphoides peltata, amphibians and waterfowls. Apart from that, the whole area belongs to Heřmanský the state – The Oder River – Poolší Bird Area, which is situated in the northeastern part of the 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 lenght 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. This bird area covers 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. The Great Crests Grebe Podiceps cristatus belongs to one of these species.
Podiceps cristatus
The Great Crests Grebe Podiceps cristatus
The Great Crests Grebe Podiceps cristatus is the largest representative of grebes in Europe. It nests on big and deep water areas with reed vegetation where it builds a big, almost 60 cm wide nest. Both parents are sitting on eggs and both take care of the young. Although young grebes are capable of swimming and diving almost at hatching, they let themselves be carried on their parent´s back for the first three weeks. During the nesting season, grebes have two pairs of erectile „horns“ on the head and an expandable rusty-red neck collar. The horns almost disappear in winter, their cheeks being almost white. Three pairs of these grebes nest at Skučák Nature Reserve. The Great Crests Grebe belongs to endangered species, protected by law.
Podiceps cristatus
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
