The fauna of the Danube Delta. The Danube Delta is a genuine fauna paradise. 98% of the aquatic European fauna lives here; the entire Odonate, aquatic Lepidoptera, gastropods shellfish fauna live here, as well as rare mammals, who take refuge here; these are Mustela lutreola, Lutra lutra and Felis silvestris, vertebrates who, by their presence here make the fauna of the Delta conspicuous. Amphibians are represented by two species of caudates and six species of salientia, and the reptiles are represented by 8 species, most of them snakes (4 species). Fishes are represented by 65 species, most of them are fresh water fishes (60%), and the others migrate from the Black Sea in spring. Among the latter, sturgeons and mackerels play an important part both scientifically and economically. Birds are the ones who have made the name of the Danube Delta, known from the beginning of the century as an avian paradise. The fame of the Delta is due to the 327 species which can be met here and which represents 81% of Romania's avifauna. Among these 218 species lay eggs, the other 109 species fly to the delta and stay here for different periods of time in autumn, winter and spring.Aquatic birds are great in number: 81 species lay eggs and 60 species fly to the delta, 141 species in all, meaning 82% of the European aquatic avifauna. The aquatic avifauna in the Danube Delta is made up of one nucleus of old species, properly adapted to the aquatic medium, and of accessory and mixed species. The nucleus of the avifauna is made up of 75 water loving-species. These are grouped in 5 main ecological types: species which are highly linked to water, exclusively stenotope species (grebes, diverse, puffins, pelicans, cormorans, somm anatides), reed plot species (all aquatic Paseriformes species), coast species (herons, rowers, eastern flossy ibis, some anatides), species of hydrophilic meadows with luxuriant vegetation and reed plots (Rallydae), marine shores species (some Laridae). Many species especially some ducks, geese, common terns, frequently appear in different biotopes. Accessory species integrate secondarily in the aquatic avifauna, growing in number as a result of the transformation of aquatic ecosystems. Riverside coppices are inhabited by Sylvas, fly catchers, nightingales, tits, chaffinches, including ducks, cormorants and herons during egg laying. In the forests in the marine fields Letea and Caraorman 64 species typical of the forests avifauna (Sylvas, blackbirds, peckers, robins, tits, starlings and a with-tailed (Haliaetus albicilla), brown jackdaws, the pygmy eagle, vultures, etc.) the pheasant (phasianus colchicus) has been introduced by colonization, the population growing rapidly. Partridges, quails, larks, field birds (Burchinus oedicnemus) are characteristic of sandy steppe meadows. Ring doves sparrows, swallows, storks martins are present in the villages of the Danube Delta, nearby households. Birds colonies. A series of aquatic species gather during egg laying, forming colonies, which are, and nest agglomerations covering small areas. The reasons for their gathering up is both the scarcity of the nest building areas and the advantages provided by the presence of a great number of birds protecting the eggs or the nestling. Bird's colonies have always been a great attraction of the Delta. The thousands of nests made up of branches of the willows in riverside coppices or in reed plots, the infernal noise, the atmosphere specific to other geological periods, the shooting flight of birds feeding their nestling, turn the bird colonies into a paradise for both ornithologists and for many nature fans. There are several types of colonies in the Danube Delta: herons, rowers, pelicans, cormorans,common terns, crested larks, and terns. The pelican colony from the entirely preserved area Rosca-Buhaiova is the greatest in Europe, and is an instance of mixed colony. It is the place where thousands of common pelican pairs associates with tens and even hundreds of curly pelicans pairs and of big cormorants, in a landscape reminding of the Jurassic Park. Only specialists authorized by ARBDD are allowed in the colonies. more animal images Copyright (c) 2000 ThinkQouest team C007799. All Rights Reserved.