Terra Incognita

Discover Ethical Ecotours

  • Ecotours
    • Search Ecotours
    • Top Ecotour Lists
  • Updates
    • Latest Updates
    • Newsletter
    • Travel Blogger of the Year 2020
      • Winners
      • Prizes & Sponsors
      • Meet the Judges
      • Entries
    • The Wildlife Blog Collection 2019
  • Ecotourism Jobs
    • Ecotourism Jobs
    • How to get a Conservation Job
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Affiliate Sign-up
  • JOIN
  • LOGIN
Top Menu
  • Ecotours
    • Search Ecotours
    • Top Ecotour Lists
  • Updates
    • Latest Updates
    • Newsletter
    • Travel Blogger of the Year 2020
      • Winners
      • Prizes & Sponsors
      • Meet the Judges
      • Entries
    • The Wildlife Blog Collection 2019
  • Ecotourism Jobs
    • Ecotourism Jobs
    • How to get a Conservation Job
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Affiliate Sign-up
  • JOIN
  • LOGIN
Bulgaria | Neophron Tours | Birds of Prey Tour

Bulgaria | Neophron Tours | Birds of Prey Tour

Top Birding Ecotours
0 Reviews
Add Photos
Write a Review

Highlights

Excellent chances to see all the 22 breeding raptors in Bulgaria;

Exceptional biodiversity, concentrated in a small area;

Endless flocks of storks, pelicans and raptors following the Black Sea coastal flyway;

Beautiful scenery and fascinating landscapes;

Small groups, experienced and dedicated tour guides

Overview

On this tour you have excellent chances to see all the 22 breeding raptors in Bulgaria, plus several passing, non-breeding and vagrant species, including: Eurasian Black Vulture, Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Golden Eagle, Saker Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Long-legged Buzzard, European Honey Buzzard, Montagu’s Harrier, Red-footed Falcon and Levant Sparrowhawk.

We start from Sofia and our first destination on this tour is the Eastern Rhodope mountain, famous for its exceptional biodiversity, concentrated in a small area. The diversity of birds of prey here is amazing – 36 species of the 39 recorded in Europe. However, the most spectacular feature of the region is the colony of Eurasian Griffon Vultures, inhabiting the crater of an ancient volcano. Eurasian Black Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Golden Eagle and Eastern Imperial Eagle are also frequent visitors of the feeding tables.

We will spend a day and a half in the Eastern Rhodopes, including one morning at the main vulture feeding place in the area. Main birds to be seen here: Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Eurasian Black Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Common Kestrel, Black Stork, Chukar, Eurasian Scops Owl, Pallid Swift, Sombre Tit, Black-eared Wheatear (ssp. melanoleuca), Blue Rock Thrush, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler, Lesser Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Western Rock Nuthatch, Ortolan Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, etc.

Next come the Sakar Hills – the stronghold of the Eastern Imperial Eagle population in Bulgaria. The Sakar is a low mountain covered with broad-leaved forests and steppe-like grassland with scattered trees, bushes and agricultural land. Some of the rivers form steep valleys with beautiful cliffs. Most of the known Eastern Imperial Eagle nests in the country are here. In the Sakar Hills we will be looking for the Eastern Imperial Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Booted Eagle, Black Kite, Long-legged Buzzard, Masked Shrike, Olive-tree Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, European Roller, European Bee-eater, Ortolan Bunting, Black-headed Bunting. In the foot of the Sakar Hills we will visit one of our best sites for observing the Levant Sparrowhawk.

Our tour continues with a drive to the Southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast with stops in the agriculture lands between the Sakar and the Western Strandzha Mnts., where the Montague’s Harrier regularly breeds.

In the next two days we will explore the Bourgas wetlands and the surrounding forests, shrub and grasslands areas. The city of Bourgas lies at the centre of a complex of extensive wetlands that form one of Europe’s richest bird areas. The numbers of soaring birds following the Black Sea coastal flyway in spring and autumn can rival those at the Bosphorus or Gibraltar – endless flocks of thousands of storks, pelicans and raptors pass overhead.

Key bird species to be seen here: White-tailed Eagle, European Honey Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, White Pelican,  Dalmatian Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Purple Heron, Black-winged Stilt, Curlew Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Kentish Plover, Slender-billed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Collared Pratincole, Black Tern,  Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Marsh Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Eurasian Penduline Tit, etc.
While in the area of Bourgas we have some chances to observe the Red-footed Falcon.

Then we transfer to the Central Balkan Mountains with some stops on the way for birding and lunch. The Balkan Mountains range, that crosses the whole territory of Bulgaria from west to east, is characterized mainly with its extensive beech and conifer forests, mountain meadows and enormous rock formations. This site is one of the wildlife-richest parts of Bulgaria. The birds we expect to see there include: Golden Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Water Pipit, Ring Ouzel (ssp. alpestris), Whinchat, Bullfinch, etc.

Transfer to Sofia and end of tour.

Photo Gallery

Ethics

At Terra Incognita we support tours that do good in the world. They must help conserve the environment, support local people and provide educational opportunities for guests and staff, or be actively working to improve in these areas.

What conservation activities do you support through the tour, and your wider operations?

One of our ultimate goals has always been to raise funds to help wildlife conservation in the different areas we visit during our tours in Bulgaria. Thanks to funds generated through our tours and the support of our tour participants, we recently launched a special Wildlife Conservation Fund to help conserve the national populations of a number of rare and endangered species of birds, such as the breeding Egyptian Vulture and Griffon Vulture in the Eastern Rhodopes, the Eastern Imperial Eagle in the Sakar Hills, the Semi-collared Flycatcher in the oak forests of the Eastern Balkan Range, the wintering Red-breasted Goose in the Coastal Dobroudzha and many others.

Through this tour specifically, we raise funds to put Pygmy Owl and Tengmalm’s Owl nest boxes in coniferous forests in the higher mountains in South-Western Bulgaria in order to improve the conditions there and support their breeding. We also help local Bulgarian NGOs, and the Wildllife Conservation Society in particular, in their crucial work for preservation of different biodiversity rich areas in Bulgaria and saving those areas from deterioration.

How does the tour support local people?

While organizing our tours we always try to support the local service providers by using family-run hotels and restaurants, local logistics companies, etc., and promote environment friendly tourism, believing that this will contribute to improving the life of local people and will raise their awareness to wildlife and nature conservation.

What type of environmental education activities do you incorporate into your tour?

Our tour leaders are local bird and biodiversity experts that are more than familiar with the species and places to be visited. They are wildlife enthusiasts always ready to answer your questions and show you all the peculiarities the areas can offer. Many of them have been working on, or are currently involved in different biodiversity conservation projects and eagerly share the news, results and achievements of these initiatives with our tour participants.

Certificates

Terra Incognita Top Ethical Ecotour Provider for 2018

Top 5 achievements

Stable breeding Egyptian Vulture and Griffon Vulture populations in the Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria;

Stable breeding population of Eastern Imperial Eagle in the Sakar Hills;

Improved conditions for the breeding Pygmy Owl and Tengmalm’s Owl;

Improved environmental awareness of local rangers and service providers;

Reduced conflicts between farmers and large carnivores in the mountain areas;

 

Rate & Write a Review

Cancel reply

Company Name

Neophron Tours

Logo

About Company

Neophron Tours is one of the major tour operators in Bulgaria for travelers who come for specialized wildlife holidays. Run by experts with long experience in this type of tours, the company has built up a reputation for the quality of services offered. Neophron Tours offers a variety of birdwatching and other wildlife and natural history tours in Bulgaria, Northern Greece and Romania, including botanical tours, Brown Bear and Wolf viewing, dragonfly and butterfly tours, wildlife photography tours and mountain hiking. Nature tours can always be combined with visiting some of the sites, included in the UNESCO list of the world cultural heritage sites. Tailor-made tours for individuals and couples are always possible.
Neophron Tours holds tour-operating certificate PK-01-7186, issued by the Bulgarian Government.

Tour Website

Click to visit the tour website
(+359) 888420159
neophrontours@gmail.com
neophrontours.bg

Business Social Profiles

  • Facebook URL
  • Instagram URL

Related Listings

    Latest Updates

    • Reconciling man with nature through ethical wildlife tours
    • Take care of your neighborhood – a philosophy for ecotourism
    • What biodiversity means in the Mediterranean region and beyond
    • Putting indigenous communities first on the Kokoda Track
    • Travellers seek wellness for people and planet post-Covid – Neophron Tours

    About Terra Incognita

    We believe that ecotourism can be a powerful force for good in the world, and seek to promote the best examples of ecotourism worldwide.

    Our mission is to empower a global community that travels for good.

    Our vision is a world where tourism drives positive change for people and wildlife.

    Latest Posts

    • Reconciling man with nature through ethical wildlife tours
    • Take care of your neighborhood – a philosophy for ecotourism
    • What biodiversity means in the Mediterranean region and beyond
    • Putting indigenous communities first on the Kokoda Track
    • Travellers seek wellness for people and planet post-Covid – Neophron Tours

    USEFUL LINKS

    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    Ecology Jobs

    Conservation Careers

    Sustainability Job

    Sustainability Jobs
    Copyright Terra Incognita © 2023. All Rights Reserved
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Login

    Lost your password?