The Agigea Marine Dunes Reserve and Agigea Bird Observatory say they have identified a new species of bird for Romania.
Researcher Emanuel Stefan Baltag says that this bird is called Olive Tree warbler (Hippolais olivetorum) and nests in the Balkan Peninsula and Turkey. In autumn, it migrates to sub-Saharan Africa to spend the winter.
The Olive tree warbler (Hippolais olivetorum) is a small species, 16-18 cm long, although it is one of the largest of its species in Europe.
„It is a dynamic, grey species with a white, dirty white ventral side. It feeds on insects that it catches in trees and bushes. The presence of this species in Romania has not been attested so far, and this discovery leads us to say Romania has become richer with a new bird species. This discovery highlights the need to look after protected areas.. which shelter many species of birds, during nesting periods, migration or the winter season. Studies have shown that the health and stability of a habitat is higher as the number of species in that habitat is greater and more diverse,” Baltag said.
The discovery suggests the Agigea Marine Dunes may be an oasis of biodiversity, demonstrating the importance of green areas, even if they are surrounded by areas that have been modified by man.
The “Agigea Marine Dunes” reserve can be visited daily between 08.00 and 18.00.
The Agigea Marine Dunes Protected Natural Area is located within the „Prof. Dr. Ioan Borcea” Marine Biological Station, which belongs to the „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi (UAIC). Starting in April 2022, the site has been designated a protected natural area of national interest”, funded by the EU Large Infrastructure Operational Program 2014 – 2021.
The project aims to implement the active conservation measures identified within the elaboration of the Management Plan of the Agigea Marine Dunes Protected Natural Area. The status of the protected natural area depends very much on the immediate implementation of conservation measures, as this site has been affected over time by several infrastructure works (construction of Constanta Port, World War II defense system).
Also, given its central location among the Black Sea tourist resorts, the project also aims to develop a strategy for educating the general public, which would materialize in an information point on the structure, functioning and importance of Black Sea coastal ecosystems
