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Site code
PLB 300002

English name:
Central Warta Valley

Niziny Srodkowopolskie
Dolina Srodkowej Warty
Area description
Dolina Srodkowej Warty is the Special Protection Area. The site of the valley is differently used and changed in various extent. Dolina Srodkowej Warty is a mosaic of 17 habitats types and home for at least 42 birds' species important for preserving biological diversify of European nature. One of the most valuable birds is extremely rare Northern Pintail.

Location
The area includes the valley of the Warta river between Babiny village (near Uniejow town) and Debno on the Warta (near the town of Nowe Miasto over the Warta river). The valley (60 133,9 ha) is from 500 m to 5 km-wide.

Landscape
The area of the valley is changed by human actions. Only within the Konin-Pyzdry valley the area has retained more natural character and its vicinity is seasonally flooded. Within the Kolo basin the river lost her natural values because it is embanked at both sides. Flooded areas are located between embankments and in estuaries of the Prosna and Kielbaska rivers.

Flora
This area is covered by a mosaic of faintly used meadows and pastures. The landscape is diversified by overgrown riparian forests and old riverbeds. The area near the Prosna river estuary is overgrown by a interesting complex of old flooded ash-elm and low dry-ground forests.

Several habitats listed in Annex I of Habitat Directive have been identified here. The vast piece of the area is covered by: species-rich Nardus grasslands, natural, euthrophic water bodies and water courses, molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clavey-silt-laden soils, riparian forests and willow thickets, xeric sand calcareous grasslands, inland dunes with open Corynephorus and Agrostis grasslands.

Among plants listed in European directives you can meet: Pasque flower and Angelica Palustris.

Fauna
Birds' species are dominated by those connected with water-mud environment. You can easily see here hundreds of pairs breeding birds like: Little Grebe, Great Bittern, Greyleg Goose, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Spotted Crake, Corn Crake, Common Snipe, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Black Tern.

Other species which must be mention are important and characteristic, appearing not so often in the area, like: Montagu's Harrier, Hoopoe, Common Quail, Common Rosefinch and Eurasian Curlew.

During migration time lots of birds occur in the site. The amount of Graylag, Bean and Greater White-fronted geese is about several thousands, and ducks - 20 thousands.

Among animals listed in European Directives you can meet mammals like: wolf, Greater Mouse-eared Bat, beaver and otter, and among birds species: Short-eared owl, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Common Kingfisher, Tawny Pipit, Great Bittern, European Nightjar, Whiskered tern, Black Tern, White Stork, Marsh, Montagu's and Hen Harrier, Corn Crake, Bewick's and Whooper Swan, Black and Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Great White Egret, Ortolan Bunting, Collared and Red-breasted Flycatcher, Great Snipe, Common Crane, White-tailed Eagle, Little Bittern, Red Bucked Shrike, Woodlark,  Bluethroat, Smew, Black and Red Kite, Black-crowned Night Heron, European Honey Buzzard, Grey-headed Woodpecker, European Golden Plover, Little Crake, Spotted Crake, Little tern, Common tern, Barred Warbler.

Among amphibians you can spot: Fire-bellied Toad and Great Crested. Also fish species like Spined Loach, European Bitterling and Weatherfish have been identified in this area. The significant insect occurring in the site is: Great Capricorn Beetle

Nature conservation
The area is covered by following forms of nature conservation: Landscape Parks: Nadwarcianski and Zerkowsko-Czeszewski Protected Landscape Areas: Pyzdrski, Uniejowski, Goplansko-Kujawski, Nadwarcianski, Powidzko-Wieniszewski, Szwajcaria Zerkowska and Zlotogorski.

Marcin Karetta