Woodlark still sings in Kančevci
On Sunday, April 28th, the Goričko Nature Park Public Institution, together with the DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia, organized the second guided tour as a part of the Gorička krajina project. This years tour took place in Kančevci. After the introduction of the woodlark as the tours target species, 41 participants started a three-hour guided walk.
Mosaic cultural landscape in Kančevci is home to typical bird species, such as the grey-headed woodpecker, the green woodpecker, the whitethroat, the lesser-whitethroat, the yellowhammer and the goldfinch. The most exciting part was the observation of the woodlark and the hoopoe, which were both on the top of the wish list among participants. On the walk through a well-preserved traditional cultural landscape, conservation measures for protection of woodlark within the Natura 2000 site Goričko was presented. The woodlark in Goričko has experienced a drastic decline in numbers in the last twenty years, mainly due to land use changes. In 1997 the breeding population was estimated on 240 pairs, while in 2018, nevertheless intensive research imput, the number was estimated at just 40 pairs.
Burnt orchid (photo: M. Podletnik)
During the trip, the participants get accuanted with many meadow plant species, such as burnt orchid, and with the importance of preservation of hedges, high-trunk orchards and dry meadows.
