The Oder River - Poolší Bird Area 4
Rychvald Ponds System 6
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 endangered Common Swift Apus apus belong to one of these species.
Apus apus
Common Swift
The Common Swift is from all our birds adjusted the best to living in the air. It feeds on insect, catching it in flight, it is even drinking from water surface in flight. It breeds and sleeps in the air. It flies up to the hight of 1 km and then sleeps or rests for several minutes during the descent. It falls into a microsleep, one half of its brain being inactive but the other half controls its movements and surroundings. It used to nest on rocks or in tree cavities, nowadays it usually uses holes and cavities in human constructions, often in blocks of flats. The pair of Common Swifts is faithful to each other for the whole life. It is very interesting that they always unmistakably find their partner, although coming back alone from migration from Africa and meet at their regular nesting place. This endangered species is quite abundant around Rychvald ponds.
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
