Category: Wildlife

With such vast swathes of untouched wilderness in Montenegro, and indeed other Balkan countries, there’s a lot of wildlife to discover out there, particularly of the bird variety. Whether you’re a seasoned twitcher or a casual admirer of our feathered friends, we’ve listed 13 birds you can expect to see in Montenegro, where we run our birdwatching holiday, and other parts of the Balkans. Most of the birds below can be found around wetlands such as Lake Skadar, or mountainous regions like Durmitor; both locations on our birding week. How many can you tick off the list? 1. Dalmatian Pelican The Dalmatian Pelican is the world’s largest flying freshwater bird with males boasting a wingspan of up to 3.5 metres and weighing around 9.5kg. These remarkable birds have called Lake Skadar home since at least the 19th century and when we first arrived there in 2008, they were critically endangered. Thanks to conservation efforts since then which we’ve supported, their numbers are on the rise. The work to save this species is far from done, but they’re heading in the right direction - there’s now a 300-strong colony at Lake Skadar (Lake Shkodra on the Albanian side). You can also find them on Lake Prespa, shared by Albania and Greece, which you can visit on our South Albania holiday. 2. Pygmy Cormorant Pygmy Cormorants are about the size of a mallard and their colour changes slightly with the seasons. In summer, adults are dark with a bronze-green hue and in winter, they have a white throat and their breast feathers turn lighter. Their short bill, stubby neck and small body distinguishes them from other cormorants. These little freshwater birds can be found in wetlands and deltas across southeast Europe, with Lake Skadar home to the world's second largest colony. When