Republic of Moldova

Birding Moldova

Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The total land area is 33,851 km2. The capital city is ChiÈ™inău. The largest part of the nation lies between two rivers, the Dniester and the Prut. The western border of Moldova is formed by the Prut river, which joins the Danube before flowing into the Black Sea. In the east, the Dniester is the main river, flowing through the country from north to south, receiving the waters of Răut, Bîc, Ichel, Botna. Ialpug flows into one of the Danube limans, while Cogîlnic into the Black Sea chain of limans. The country is landlocked, though it is close to the Black Sea. While most of the country is hilly, elevations never exceed 430 m (1,411 ft) – the highest point being the BălăneÈ™ti Hill. Moldova’s hills are part of the Moldavian Plateau, which geologically originate from the Carpathian Mountains. Its subdivisions in Moldova include the Dniester Hills (Northern Moldavian Hills and Dniester Ridge), the Moldavian Plain (Middle Prut Valley and BălÈ›i Steppe), and the Central Moldavian Plateau (Ciuluc-SoloneÈ› Hills, CorneÈ™ti Hills – Codri Massive, ‘Codri’ meaning ‘forests’ – Lower Dniester Hills, Lower Prut Valley, and Tigheci Hills). In the south, the country has a small flatland, the Bugeac Plain. The territory of Moldova east of the river Dniester is split between parts of the Podolian Plateau, and parts of the Eurasian Steppe. Moldova has a climate which is moderately continental; its proximity to the Black Sea leads to the climate being mildly cold in the autumn and winter and relatively cool in the spring and summer. The summers are warm and long, with temperatures averaging about 20 °C (68 °F) and the winters are relatively mild and dry, with January temperatures averaging −4 °C (25 °F). Annual rainfall, which ranges from around 600 mm (24 in) in the north to 400 mm (16 in) in the south, can vary greatly; long dry spells are not unusual. The heaviest rainfall occurs in early summer and again in October; heavy showers and thunderstorms are common. Because of the irregular terrain, heavy summer rains often cause erosion and river silting. Much of Moldova’s wildlife is impoverished and as agriculture and tree cover loss continues most of the large mammals are extirpated although, the right habitat smaller mammals thrive. As farming is not yet as intense as in the UK birds are also still in good numbers and variety supplemented by migration and the proximity of the Black Sea for wintering birds.

12 IBAs have been recognised so far including Stânca-Costeşti Reservoir, Ghidighici Reservoir, Salaş Reservoir, Cuciurgan Reservoir, Lake Manta and Beleu Lake among others.