Kamenski bair SPA

Kamenski Bair is located in southern Bulgaria, south-west of the town of Sliven, in the grounds of the village bearing the same name. Its territory is locked between the Sofia - Burgas road on the north, the Sliven - Burgas railway on the north-east and east, the Sliven - Yambol road on the west and the village of Kamen on the south. The riverbed of the Tundzha is located to the south of the area, while its tributary, the Arka river, passes through it. Kamenski Bair is a low treeless hill. The main habitat are the open areas of farmland (arable and abandoned), pastures and shrub associations.
 

In spite its small territory Kamenski Bair supports 142 bird species, 43 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria. Of the birds occurring there 61 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC), 4 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 17 in SPEC 2 and 40 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 40 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 33 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. Kamenski Bair is of global importance as one of the most valuable territories in the country, used as a hunting ground by the globally threatened Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca. This small territory provide food for significant numbers of Imperial Eagles, as well as other threatened birds of prey as the Black Kite Milvus migrans and the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus.

Kamenski Bair SPA is important foraging site for the Saker Falcon Falco cherrug. Up to 3 individuals, coming from the neighboring SPA Sinite Kamani – Grebenets regularly hunt there during the breeding period. The area is important site for the Saker Falcon also during the period of roaming and migration. Because of the regular occurrence of Saker Falcons during the breeding season it is suitable site for implementation of recovery measures.
 

• Agricultural activities

  The most serious threats to grassland habitats here are the conversion of the pastures into arable lands or Orchards.

• Human activities

  Other threats that cause loss of habitats are the extraction of inert materials from the hill for road construction, as well as the building up of the territory because of the continuing urbanization. Use of poison against rodents directly affect raptors populations in the area.