We are pleased to announce the launch of “AOS NEWSLETTER”, dedicated entirely to our actions and efforts for the conservation of the Albanian avifauna. The first issue of AOS NEWSLETTER will be sent out on the following days and it will be regularly published each month. The content of the AOS NEWSLETTER will consist of …

We’re already in the infancy of the spring season, the time of the year when migration birds leave their wintering grounds including here the famous bearer of newborn babies to expecting parents and the widely beloved symbol, White Stork. The first White Stork for this year 2020 in Albania was spotted six days ago (25th …

Only 6 breeding pairs and 3 single adults remain today in Albania and all of them along Vjosa (Aoos) river and its tributaries such as Drino river, Benca river, Shushica River, Kardhiq stream, etc. Those only nine territories are just a mere sign compared with the presence in 14 territories in 2004. Thus, the Globally …

The young naturalists of the “Eco Friends” youth club of Asim Zeneli High School from the stone city, Gjirokastra, in cooperation with the team of Albanian Ornithological Society (AOS), conducted an educative ornithological excursion in Divjaka-Karavasta National Park (DKNP). The main aim of the visit consisted of introducing the members of the Eco Friends youth …

“The Ornithological Friday” has always been marked on the AOS annual calendar as an important ornithological educational activity dedicated to youth and kids. We, here at the Albanian Ornithological Society (AOS), are continuing the tradition of “The Ornithological Friday,” cooperating closely with educational institutions in several cities at the national level. The enthusiastic and inquisitive …

At the end of last year (December 2019), during the routine field-monitoring visit at Divjaka-Karavasta National Park, the Albanian Ornithological Society field-team observed the first signs of the breeding season within the colony of the Dalmatian Pelicans. Orange-red pouch, curly feathers and the presence of several specimens in the Pelican Island warned us that the …

Unlike the other Balkan countries, where the deliberate poisoning phenomenon is well-incorporated and clearly defined as a prohibited action in the legislation over the years, the intentional wildlife poisoning in Albania has not been regarded as a prohibited activity in the national legal framework till July 2019. As a consequence, the fact that wildlife poisoning …

Working Meeting: Pesticides and VMP legislation analysis. Pesticides and Veterinary Medical Products (VMP) could be rather dangerous for wildlife if they are not used appropriately or if they fall in wrong hands and used for intentional poisoning. The intensification of livestock breeding dictates an ever-growing need for antibiotics (+other VMP products) for the animals; their …

In August and September 2019, the Albanian Ornithological Society (AOS) conducted some 41 km of transect surveys for mapping of dangerous pylons and detecting mortality due to electrocution and collisions with power grid in the stronghold of the Egyptian Vulture in Drino valley, part of the Globally Important Bird Area of Gjirokastra, in the southern …

Illegal Killing and Taking of Birds in Albania  According to Brochet et al (2016), Albania is listed among the most impacted countries from the illegal killing of birds with an average 265 000 birds killed per year. Approximately 30 000 – 40 000 birds are caught annually, 20% of which is thought to be traded …