Montenegro

• Buljarica

  WebsiteSatellite View
  Buljarica is more than 2 km long beach with adjoining wetland with numerous canals and reedbeds, surrounded with olive groves; southeast of the lovely but overcrowded Petrovac resort. Birds of this area include Olive-tree Warbler, Sombre Tit, Rock Nuthatch, Pygmy Cormorant, Rock Partridge, Eleonora’s Falcon, Syrian Woodpecker, Levant Sparrowhawk and Blue Rock Thrush. This site is of greatest importance during migration.

• Durmitor & Tara Canyon

  InformationSatellite View
  The impossibly rugged and dramatic Durmitor (Дурмитор) is one of Montenegro’s – and Mother Nature’s – showpieces. Carved out by glaciers and underground streams, Durmitor stuns with dizzying canyons, glittering glacial lakes and nearly 50 limestone peaks soaring to over 2000m; the highest, Bobotov Kuk, hits 2523m. From December to March, Durmitor is a major ski resort, while in summer it’s popular for hiking, rafting and other active pursuits.

• Lake Skadar

  WebsiteSatellite View
  Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans and one of the largest fresh-water lakes of Europe, where 281 bird species were recorded (90% of them migrating and wintering species). It is a shallow lake, 14 by 44 km, surrounded by wide flood plain on its northern bank, with willows, reedbeds and floating vegetation. Breeding birds here include Pygmy Cormorant (2,200 breeding pairs!), Dalmatian Pelican (the westernmost breeding site for this species), Squacco Heron, Ferruginous Duck, Whiskered Tern, etc. Breeding species aside, Skadar Lake had special significance for wintering waterbirds. Numbers fell steadily from 250,000 in 1999 to a mere 34,000 in 2006, which was thought to be due to human pressure but numbers have rinse again, c.108,000 in 2007 and close to 150,000 in 2008.

• Solila Special Nature Reserve

  InformationSatellite View
  Tivatska Solila (south of the town of Tivat in the Bay of Kotor) is a shallow lagoon and former saltpans, part of it filled with tidal sea water. This area is an important migration stopover for waders, Common Crane, Osprey, Snipe, Greater Flamingo, Pygmy Cormorant, etc. but cannot accommodate larger numbers due to the heavy hunting pressure. There is an abandoned water utilities house – you can use upper floor to scope the area, or you can walk along the dyke.

• Ulcinj Saltpans

  WebsiteSatellite View
  Ulcinj Saltpans, immediately east of the Ulcinj Town, consist of series of shallow pans, largely without vegetation, where 241 bird species were recorded. This site is most exciting during migration and winter period, when it attracts up to 20,000 waterbirds, including a hundred or so Dalmatian Pelicans and maybe a few Greater Flamingos. Some 100 pairs of Collared Pranticole breeds at the saltpans. Spotting scopes recommended.

• Velika Plaza

  WebsiteSatellite View
  Velika Plaza & Ada Bojana, south of the Ulcinj Town, are two important areas endangered by encroachment of tourism facilities. Velika Plaza is bordered with sand dunes and adjoining grassland, forests and wetlands and is an important breeding area and migration stopover. In summer, almost 1% of the European population of Baillon’s Crake breeds here, as well as Collared Pranticoles, Stone Curlews and Rollers. Great Bustard also occurs here. Ada Bojana has almost 4 km long beach where Loggerhead Turtles lay their eggs. Behind it, in a forested area there is a mixed heronry where Pygmy Cormorants and Spoonbills breed. Other breeding birds include Stone Curlew and Nightjar.

• Dragan Simic

  | birdingserbia@gmail.com

• Other material – Marko Rakovic

  | markorakovic@gmail.com

• Other material – Darko Saveljic

  | dasav@t-com.me

• Number of bird species: 355

  (As at April 2025)

• Birds of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East

  | Photographic Guide | By Frédéric Jiguet & Aurélien Audevard | PUP | 2017 | Paperback | 447 pages, 2200 colour photos, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780691172439 Buy this book from NHBS.com

• Collins Bird Guide

  | By Lars Svensson | Harper Collins | Edition 3 | 2023 | Paperback | 478 pages, 4000+ colour illustrations, 700 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780008547462 Buy this book from NHBS.com

• Finding Birds in Montenegro & Herzegovina

  | By Dave Gosney | Easybirder | 2022 | Paperback | 40 Pages | ISBN: 9781907316630 Buy this book from NHBS.com

• 

  Collins Bird Guide

  Android

  The Collins Bird Guide App provides everything you need to identify a species quickly and learn about it thoroughly.
  
  

• 

  Collins Bird Guide

  Apple iOS |

  Collins Bird Guide 4+ A field guide to Europe NatureGuides Ltd. Designed for iPad
  
  

• Centre for Protection and Research of Birds (CZIP)

  Website
  CZIP Mission is to protect birds and other animal and plant species, their habitats, biodiversity monitoring of Montenegro, citizen education, popularisation of scientific research, as well as cooperation with other organisations at home and abroad, dealing with the protection of nature. The objectives of the organization are:- To initiate, encourage and support scientific and professional research of ornithofauna and other biodiversity groups in the area of Montenegro;- To promote and present to national and international public the richness of biodiversity;- To educate and raise awareness of people about their knowledge of birds and other members of biodiversity;- To indicates to the needs and means of protection of birds and their habitats, as well as other members of biodiversity.The vision of the Center is the harmony in the relationship between people and nature and economic development based on the principles of sustainable use of resources.

• Montenegrin Ornithological Association

  Information
  Farmaci BB, Podgorica, Montenegro

Abbreviations Key

• *National Parks

  WebpageSatellite View
  Montenegro has five national parks which cover approximately 10 percent of the country's territory.

• IBA Ulcinj Salina

  WebpageSatellite View
  Ulcinj Salina is located in the outermost southern part of Montenegro and covers approximately 14.5 km2 of salty basins. It has been built in the region with the largest number of clear sky days and the most sunshine on the Adriatic - 2,567 hours - and the largest number of tropical days in ex-Yugoslavia. Hence, this is an ideal place for a saltpan, which in this case based its salt production exclusively on evaporation. The Salina is 1 km of air distance from the city of Ulcinj and the same distance from the border with Albania. If we were seeking for the most exclusive habitat for bird watching in the Adriatic, the Balkans or even the whole Mediterranean, the Ulcinj Salina would definitely be at the top of the list. Currently 241 bird species have been registered in this "cultural lagoon", which is 50% of the total bird species registered in Europe. In the wider region, there are habitats where the number of registered birds is even higher, but what makes the Ulcinj Salina special is the quality of species and their number. The number of birds using the Ulcinj Salina basins for breeding, wintering or resting during spring or autumn migration exceeds the threshold of 1% of the total global bird population. Amazingly, an area of 15 km2 hosts 3% of the total global population of the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), 3% of the global population of the Blackitailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) and the same percentage of the Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)!

• NP Biogradska Gora

  InformationSatellite View
  Biogradska Gora is a forest and a national park in Montenegro within Kolašin municipality. It is the site of one of the last three large virgin forests in Europe. The landscape is one of mountain ridges, glacial lakes, and temperate forest. The National Park is 54 km² in area. Although it is the one of smallest of five national parks in Montenegro, Biogradska Gora National Park contains great diversity of flora and fauna with 150 species of birds,

• NP Durmitor

  InformationSatellite View
  The impossibly rugged and dramatic Durmitor (Дурмитор) is one of Montenegro’s – and Mother Nature’s – showpieces. Carved out by glaciers and underground streams, Durmitor stuns with dizzying canyons, glittering glacial lakes and nearly 50 limestone peaks soaring to over 2000m; the highest, Bobotov Kuk, hits 2523m. From December to March, Durmitor is a major ski resort, while in summer it’s popular for hiking, rafting and other active pursuits.

• NP Skadar Lake WII IBA

  InformationSatellite View
  Lake Skadar, the largest in the Balkans is the only national park dominated by aquatic and wetland ecosystems. With 281 species, Lake Skadar represents an internationally important area for the habitat of many birds. Because of this, the lake is included in the IBA and RAMSAR lists.

• Wetlands

  WebsiteSatellite View
  Montenegro currently has 2 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 20,150 hectares.

• eBird

  Sightings
  eBirding This Month

• Birding Albania

  Tour Operator
  Birding in Montenegro – 12 Days Tour to Explore the Scenic Montenegro

• EcoTours

  Tour Operator
  Montenegro & Albania

• Kingfisher

  Local Boat
  Birdwatching Tours at Lake Skadar

• Milica

  Local Boat
  Discover and enjoy the incredible sights and wildlife paradise on Skadar Lake with us!

• Monticola

  Local Tour Operator
  Prokletije is one of the most complex mountain groups on the Balkan Peninsula....

• NatureTrek

  Tour Operator
  A 9-day tour exploring this rarely visited country in search of migrating and native birds, as well as other wildlife, including time spent at the scenic Lake Skadar and within the dramatic mountains of Durmitor National Park.

• The Travelling Naturalist

  Tour Operator
  Montenegro contains a wealth of wildlife residing amongst its dunes, river deltas, mountains and lakes.

• Undiscovered Montenegro

  Tour Operator

• Wildlife Worldwide

  Tour Operator
  Montenegro has a wealth of habitats, all of which are important stopovers for migrating birds, while Lake Skadar is home to Dalmatian pelicans.

• 2016 [05 May] -

  PDF Report
  I almost immediately spotted Pygmy Cormorants, a species which proved to be relatively abundant wherever I stopped. A few Mallard were also on the lake with large numbers of Great Crested Grebe, Coot and a few Little Grebe and normal Cormorants here and there too...

• 2019 [06 June] - Willem Proesmans

  PDF Report
  We did a road trip around Montenegro, mostly for amphibians and reptiles, and also a bit for butterflies and speleo(bio)logy. While Montenegro is hardly ever mentioned as a bird-watching paradise, it is a hot spot for reptiles, and also harbours some nice, endemic amphibians, such as Albanian pool frog. Although none of us were really die-hard bird watchers, seeing Dalmatian pelicans on Lake Skadar was also one of our main goals.

• 2022 [05 May] - v

  PDF Report
  Report

• 2024 [06 June] - Sue Bryan

  Report
  We continued on our way and drove to Buljarica and through a campsite alongside the sea. I could hear a Great Reed Warbler singing but it was quite distant over the reedbed. It was soon joined by another. Barn Swallow, House Martin and Sand Martin were accompanied by two Red-rumped Swallow flying around as I wandered along the track. A Yellow-legged Gull flew by but sea birds were very few and far between...

• Hoopoe Glamping and Adventures

  Website
  irdwatching and Glamping in Montenegro. Blending stay in the nature with best adventure exploring Montenegrin birdlife.