WHAT CAN I DO?
Go wildlife watching in both Croatia and Serbia.
Croatia has eight national parks, 11 natural parks and numerous other protected areas. The rocky karst of the Adriatic coast, between Zadar and Split, is home to rock partridges and western rock nuthatches, while inland of the coastal ridge, the Velebit Mountains near Krasno Polje, have both threetoed and middle spotted woodpeckers, hazel grouse and capercaillies.
In Serbia, where the Danube is joined by the Sava River in Belgrade (and a few km each side of the city) there are breeding ferruginous ducks, black storks and whitetailed eagles, and the eagles can even be seen in Belgrade’s centre.
Around Mount Kapaonik and Mount Tara in the southern mountains, look for wallcreepers ( top), Tengmalm’s owls and white-backed woodpeckers.
This year’s Champions of the Flyway bird race, taking place in Israel, is raising money to help stop the illegal trapping and killing of birds in Croatia and Serbia. Follow the race and find out more at www.championsof-the-flyway.com