Birds are a good indicator of the state of nature, they are around us in city parks and gardens, homes and industrial plants, rivers and lakes, green areas that span around urban areas, roads, rural settlements, agricultural land and forests. Because of their characteristics, they have attracted people's attention and interest for centuries, and their absence from some space or emerging species indicates changes in nature and the environment. From bird watching by scientists and experts, a specific form of hobby has developed, developed in many countries in Europe and the world "birdwatching", and more recently "birding", which in addition to bird watching encompasses their voting and behavior. Traveling birdwatchers and watching protected and endangered birds in their natural habitat has influenced the development of tourism, and proper birdwatching or birding bird watching has no adverse effects on birds or their environment. The County of Sisak-Moslavina has a predisposition for the development of this type of tourism, which could also enable the development of rural areas of the County.
The natural features of the Sisak-Moslavina County, the preserved landscape of lowland floodplains along the Sava, Kupa, Odra, Lonja and Sunja rivers and traditional management have made it possible to conserve great biodiversity, and the areas of the Odransko and Sunje fields are part of wider ecological network areas important for conservation and favorable conservation. the state of the wild bird species, their habitats and the areas important for the conservation of migratory bird species (POP areas). Odransko Polje is located in the area of POP HR1000003 Turopolje, while Sunjsko Polje is located in the area of POP HR1000004 Donja Posavina. Each POP area has targeted bird species whose abundance is monitored as well as the habitat status of the birds. A prerequisite for quality development of bird watching as a tourist-economic product is knowledge of birds and areas where birds can be spotted, development of tourist routes, maps, brochures and manuals that would allow bird watching on their own or guided. The result of this activity is also the record of birds observed, which contributes to a better knowledge of the ornithofauna of an area. In addition to the development of this tourist segment of our County, it also contributes to the recording of species and inclusion in the process of monitoring endangered and protected bird species.
Our ornithological-volunteer program is designed to enable inclusion from school children to the elderly in the basics of bird watching, an overview and description of groups of birds occurring in the SMŽ area, and an overview of the most interesting bird species and areas in the SMŽ. Particular attention was paid to the determination of similar species and characteristics important for the determination of members of particular groups such as the position of the neck in flight, the colors of the feathers that distinguish similar species, the color of the head in woodpeckers, the way of movement in the tree, the shape of the wings of predators. Some birds are "watched" by listening because they are timid or live in hard-to-reach places, but knowing their singing indicates their presence. This audio method of bird recognition is a good model for involving visually impaired people in volunteer bird monitoring activities. For audio exercises at the NATURA SMŽ Center in Petrinja, a "sound" room has been created that enables listening to the voices of particular species characteristic of our area.
Interested individuals or groups will be able to participate in this program, learn how to identify a characteristic species for our County, become acquainted with protected species, an ethic that facilitates unobstructed bird watching and non-disturbance during a sensitive nesting and raising period, and then engage in individual species monitoring. birds in the area of our County. Also, a good knowledge of the birds and the areas where they live make it possible to engage in the tourist segment with the expert guidance of groups or individuals and to develop a new tourist product - bird watching.
This program is also connected with the tourist infrastructure - lookout points equipped with informative and educational contents located in the area of Odran and Sunje fields. Training equipment, field binoculars, maps, manuals and a small-group vehicle are provided for training and field monitoring.
