
Rétszilas Fishponds Nature Conservation Area
- Country:Hungary
- Site number:899
- Area:1,494 ha
- Designation date:30-04-1997
- Coordinates:46°50'N 18°34'E
Overview
The Site is a complex of numerous fishponds and the remnants of marshy river beds created at the turn of the 20th century in place of the regulated “Őssárvíz” marshland. The characteristic vegetation includes reedbeds, sedge communities, and sodic pastures. The Site is one of the most significant waterbird habitats in Western Hungary, with its large interwoven reeds providing optimal nesting habitat for several protected and endangered species and also a large number of heron species. 113 bird species use the Site, 84 of them protected; the few hundred hectares of water surface are essential during the birds’ migration. The Site also supports numerous endangered and protected plants, notably a significant orchid community. Human activities include a fishery, cattle grazing, mowing and farming. The bird life at the Site is monitored and a Site management plan is in preparation.
- National legal designation:
- Nature Conservation Area
- Regional (international) legal designations:
- EU Natura 2000
- Last publication date:12-09-2017