South of Montenegro Birding Tour - 8 Days

Pick up from the Podgorica airport (or another location) and travel to the Podgorica hotel.

The second day will be spent exploring Lake Skadar National Park, which will require the use of a boat. Lake Skadar is one of Montenegro's most important birding destinations, with 280 species recorded.

The Dalmatian Pelican can be found here, and it is the species' westernmost population. During our boat trip, we will observe the Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Whiskered Tern, Ferruginous Duck, and Night Heron, to name a few. At Lake Skadar, lives one of the world's largest colonies of Pygmy Cormorants, and it's not uncommon to observe thousands of them in one place. We go south in the afternoon to Ulcinj, where we will spend the following two nights.

The greatest time for birdwatching at the Ulcinj Salina is early in the morning, so it will be an early start. The Ulcinj Salina was built on the location of the previous Zogaj lagoon, and the fact that "zog" in Albanian means "bird" should indicate how essential this place is for birds.

More than 240 bird species have been recorded at the Salina so far, and we can spot Collared Pratincole, Little Tern, Kentish Plover, Black-winged Stilt, European Roller, Common Tern, Common Shelduck, and Eurasian Stone Curlew while walking through salt pans.

The Ulcinj Salina is also essential as a feeding place for the Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, Spoonbill, and Pygmy Cormorant, which all nest in the area surrounding it.

We continue after the Salina to Velika plaa (Long Beach), a 13-kilometer-long sandy beach with a brackish marsh belt in the background.

We'll pass through a field that's home to Crested Larks, Eurasian Stone Curlews, and Bee-eaters on our approach to the shore. Species such as the Common Tern, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, and Dunlin can be seen when walking on the beach. The European Roller and the Levant Sparrowhawk are also common sightings.

We're leaving Ulcinj today. Our tour continues with a stop at Valdanos' famous olive garden. Our host will inform us about the traditional olive oil processing method and give us the opportunity to sample some.

We continue from Valdanos to Buljarica Beach, a narrow wetlands strip wedged between steep mountains and the open sea. We'll look for species like the Levant Sparrowhawk and the Great Reed Warbler here.

We continue along the Adriatic coast from there until we reach the Tivat Salina. Wader species such as the Whimbrel, Redshank, Black-winged Stilt, and Lapwing can be seen in the spring and autumn. We arrive in Kotor late in the afternoon, where we will spend the following two nights.

This is a day of rest, and Kotor is the ideal destination for it. You can spend it in the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with many churches, museums, excellent restaurants and bars, or further explore the Boka Bay with its charming settlements such as the baroque town of Perast, or, if you prefer heights, take the famous 25-hairpin road to Mount Loven, enjoying lovely views and sampling traditional Montenegrin food and drinks. You can do it on your own or have it handled for you.

The karst fields take up the sixth day. Before continuing on to Niki, the road will lead us to the karst lands of Dragalj and Grahovo, where we will search for the Western Rock Nuthatch. With a surface area of 66.5 km2, Nikšićko polje (Nikšić karst field) is Montenegro's largest karst field. Lakes Krupac, Slano, and Vrtac will all be visited.

The grasslands around Lakes Slano and Krupac become an important feeding and resting place during migration, so we'll be looking for Common Cranes, Northern Lapwings, Ruffs, and Wood Sandpipers here.

The Common Pochard and Coot use this area as a critical wintering ground. We'll drive through the Zeta Valley on our approach to Podgorica, which is a protected area as well as a major migration route for birds.

The day begins with a visit to Montenegro's largest steppe habitat, the Cemovsko field. Calandra Lark, Short-toed Lark, Tawny Pipit, and Eurasian Stone Curlew are among the passerine species included in EU Birds Directive Annex I.

Also, during spring migration, Red-footed Falcons, Lesser Kestrels, Montagu's and Marsh Harriers, and Meadow Pipits migrate over emovsko field and halt there for rest and feeding.

We'll look for the Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, and Rock Partridge on neighbouring Dei Hill. The day will continue at the Cijevna Canyon, a nature preserve and IBA, where we will seek for Golden Eagles, Eurasian Jackdaws, Alpine Swifts, Alpine Choughs, Western Rock Nuthatchs, Sombre Tits, Subalpine Warblers, and Golden Orioles.

Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the airport in Podgorica (or other).