Birds of prey in Romania reflect the country’s exceptional habitat diversity, from the Danube Delta wetlands and Dobrogea steppe to the Carpathian Mountains and forest ecosystems. Notable species include the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina), Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus), Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) and Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus). Romania also hosts important owl species such as the Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo) and Ural Owl (Strix uralensis). Positioned along major migration corridors of the Western Palaearctic flyway, the country supports breeding populations, migratory passage and wintering assemblages of numerous raptor species.
Early this morning, while watching the sky above the wetlands near Mahmudia, I noticed a distant formation slowly approaching from the south. At first they were just silhouettes against the pale spring sky. Then the shapes became unmistakable. The first…
Early Birding Days of the 2026 Season — From Mahmudia There is a moment each spring when the Danube Delta changes its breathing. All winter it exhales slowly—grey water, silent reedbeds and scattered flocks of wintering ducks. Then, one morning…
Ten years ago, we welcomed our very first guests to our home in Mahmudia, at the gateway to the Danube Delta. Since then, seasons have turned, pelicans have returned each spring and thousands of sunrises have reflected over the reeds.…
Simple. Spotless. Exactly What You Need in the Danube Delta. In the heart of Mahmudia, at the gateway to the Danube Delta, Bunica Maria is not a resort — and that’s exactly why guests love it. From the very beginning,…
In the heart of the Romanian Danube Delta, Bunica Maria – Guesthouse for birders offers something increasingly rare in today’s travel world: a place built specifically for birdwatchers, run by a local family, and shaped around peace, authenticity and small-scale…
The Danube Delta, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where the river meets the Black Sea, is one of Europe’s last great wilderness areas. For birdwatchers, it offers an extraordinary concentration of pelicans, herons, egrets, terns and raptors. However, in this fragile…