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PICTURE GALLERY



PenBro's Little Switzerland | Pirin | Rhodope | Rila | Mountain Climate & Flora
Mountain Fauna | Mountain Geology | Mountain History |



Their fauna:


RILA
Like the flora, the fauna of Rila is equally rich and diverse. The remoteness and relative inaccessibility of large tracts of the Rila mountains enables large mammals to exist in reasonable numbers. Amongst the most interesting perhaps are Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), Mouflon (Ovis musimon), Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Wild Cat (Felis silvestris), and Wolf (Canis lupus).
For the ornithologist there are many interesting birds with Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia), Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), and Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) inhabiting the forests. The alpine-like pastures contain Alpine Accentor (Prunella collaris), Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia), Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca), Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis), and Shore Lark (Eremophila alpestris), and the cliffs are home to Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer), and Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria). Amongst the Raptors are Booted Eagle (Hieraeetus pennatus), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and the Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus).

RHODOPE
The Rhodope have the most abundant and diverse fauna of all Bulgarian mountains and are home to significant numbers of Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Wild Cat (Felis si/vestris), and Wolf (Canis lupus). There are also many deer species and wild boar are present in large numbers. Amongst the many bird species are Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), and Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia). Amongst the raptors, particularly in the Arda river valley in the eastern area, there is the relatively rare for Bulgaria Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus), and also Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) and Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus).

PIRIN
The rugged grandeur of the Pirin provides ideal territory for Central European and sub-Mediterranean species, with the latter being present mainly in the southern part of the mountain range and include Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), Wild Cat (Felis silvestris), and Wolf (Canis lupus), with the latter being frequently seen around the outskirts of Banya during the winter months. Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) are common in the forests, and above the tree-line there are Alpine Accentor (Prunella collaris), Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca), Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis), and even some Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria). Amongst the wide range of raptors are Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Egyptian Vulture (Neophon percnopterus), and Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus).