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[edit] Overview

Forming part of the Western Carpathians, the Beskydy Mts lie in the far west of the Czech Republic on the border with Slovakia. Excellent for forest and upland birds this Important Bird Area is also a Protected Landscape Area and contains many nature reserves.

These are not high mountains, reaching a maximum of little over 1,300m and spruce forests predominate on many of the slopes. In lower areas there are woodlands of beech and fir and the area is renowned amongst birders for its owl and woodpecker populations.

Most of the unforested land in the area is farmland.

[edit] Birds

[edit] Notable Species

These mountains are the most reliable site in the Czech Republic for Ural Owl and there are also Eurasian Eagle Owl, Tengmalm's Owl and Eurasian Pygmy Owl. White-backed Woodpecker also has its stronghold here and other woodpeckers include Black Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker and Three-toed Woodpecker. Hazel Grouse and Western Capercaillie occur here as well as Black Stork.

Other forest birds include Crested Tit and Spotted Nutcracker, Collared Flycatcher and Red-breasted Flycatcher, Common Redstart and Barred Warbler.

Corn Crake breeds in some of the abandoned meadows in the area and breeding raptors include Western Honey-Buzzard, Hen Harrier and Lesser Spotted Eagle.

[edit] Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Black Stork, White Stork, Western Honey-Buzzard, Hen Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Hazel Grouse, Western Capercaillie, Corn Crake, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Ural Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, European Nightjar, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Wryneck, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Wood Lark, Common Wren, Common Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Barred Warbler, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Crested Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Spotted Nutcracker, Northern Raven, Chaffinch, Brambling, Northern Redpoll, Hawfinch

[edit] Other Wildlife

To do

[edit] Site Information

For a birding trip spring is the best time to visit these mountains, particularly for the owls and woodpeckers but there can be heavy snow until the end of April.

[edit] History and Use

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[edit] Areas of Interest

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[edit] Access and Facilities

The Moravian Beskydy is situated in the north-east of the Czech Republic and can be reached from Frenstat or Rosnov to the west.

[edit] Contact Details

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[edit] External Links

• Beskydy Mountains
• Beskydy Mountains on Google Maps

Content and images originally posted by Steve