The Sakar Mountains

The Sakar Mts are one of the least known mountain areas, located in the southeast of Bulgaria , bordering on Turkey . It is an area of rounded hills and open valleys. The higher parts are covered with broad-leaved forests, while most of the area is a step-like grassland with scattered trees, bushes and agricultural land. Some of the rivers form steep valleys with beautiful cliffs. For many years the access to large parts of the area was restricted, which helped preservation of the typical habitats. The whole region is thinly populated with poorly developed network of roads and a few small settlements.

The realm of the eagles

The Sakar Mountains is Bulgaria 's Imperial Eagles ( Aquila heliaca ) stronghold. Seven out of 12 known nests in the country are here. Twenty-nine other raptor species also occur in the region, including the Lesser Spotted eagle ( Aquila pomarina ), the Short-toed Eagle ( Circaetus gallicus) , the Booted Eagle ( Hieraaetus pennatus ), the Long- legged Buzzard ( Buteo rufinus ), the Levant Sparrowhawk ( Accipiter brevipes ). Among the other remarkable species of birds in the area are the Black Stork ( Ciconia nigra) , the Roller ( Corracias garrulus ), the Masked Shrike ( Lanius nubicus ), the Orphean Warbler ( Sylvia hortensis ), the Olive-tree Warbler ( Hippolais olivetorum ), the Sombre Tit ( Parus lugubris ), the Calandra Lark ( Melanocorypha calandra ). Due to its enormous significance as a breeding ground for raptors the southern part of the mountain is designated as an Important Bird Area of global significance.