The first of April is not only a day of pranks, but has belonged to all birds for more than 100 years. International Bird Day has been celebrated on April 1 since 1906, when the Agreement on the Protection of Useful Birds was signed.

The main message of today's celebrations is to draw attention to the fact that many species of birds are seriously endangered. It is estimated that about 13% of species may become extinct. This is mainly due to the loss of their natural habitats, the disappearance of greenery in the landscape and the dangers that lurk during long migrations. Therefore, the protection of birds is not only about caring for individual species, but also about protecting the environment in which they live.

 On the heap, it has excellent conditions for life The gray rockworm

In USSK, we also pay considerable attention to the birds that occur. We place nest boxes for falcons, take the found chicks to the veterinary station and monitor the birds in the area. In 2025, monitoring of birds during the breeding season was carried out in the territory of the Dry Heap and in the Sokolany WWTP.

81 species of birds were recorded on the dry heap, which is 25 more compared to the autumn migration and wintering period in 2024. Nesting has been confirmed in 35 species. Among the most interesting nesting species were the Eurasian Plover, the Grey Warbler (in the photo) and the Eagle Owl, the Eurasian Sandpiper and the Crested Warbler. The most characteristic and interesting species on the heap is the Gray Scalefish. At first glance, this bird inhabits the most inhospitable and least groomed parts, mounds of material of larger fractions, in which rockfish find ample nesting opportunities in various stone cavities and crevices. With regard to the number of occupied territories, the population on the heap reaches one of the highest values in Slovakia.

 Buzzards live in the area of the WWTP

Within the area of the Sokoľany WWTP, 73 species of birds were recorded, of which 34 were nesting birds. Among the most interesting nesting species were the Marsh Buzzard (in the cover photo) and the Buzzard, and the occurrences of pairs of Marsh Bittern and Eurasian Curling Ball in the breeding season were interesting. This year, we plan to plant trees in the vicinity of the Sokoľany WWTP sludge pond to create suitable conditions for these bird species.

  How to celebrate Bird Day

Ornithologists spend Bird Day in nature, because April is the time of the most intense migration, and many interesting species can be seen. Amateur birdwatching is called birding, and the person who does it is a birder. This term is very broad – a birder is anyone who likes to watch birds, whether from the window, from the garden or on trips to nature.

Bird watching is a simple hobby for which eyes and ears are basically enough. It brings a lot of joy – whether it's meeting a rare species or just listening to the singing of common birds.

Go outside! An overview of places suitable for bird watching can be found on the website Birdwatching.sk - Where to see birds in Slovakia , where you can search for a location near your home and at the same time learn what bird species can be observed there.

 Did you know that...

* The smallest bird in the world is the Cuban bumblebee, the male weighs only 1.5 grams.

* The ostrich is the largest bird, it can grow up to two meters in height and weigh up to 63-140 kg.

*   Birds have excellent eyesight, some species can see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to humans.

* The long-tailed tern has the longest migration of all birds. It will fly from the Arctic regions to Antarctica and back about 35,000 kilometers.