Acrocephalus 22 (109): 191 – 206, 2002
191
Dispersal by accident – the Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in
Croatia
Razpr{itev populacije `li~ark Platalea leucorodia na Hrva{kem
Martin Schneider-Jacoby1, Tibor Mikuska2, Darko Kova~i}3, Jozsef Mikuska4, Mirko [etina5 &
Zdravko Tadi}6
1Euronatur, Konstanzer Str. 22, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany, e-mail: martin.schneider.jacoby@euronatur.org 
2Kopa~ki rit Nature Park Management Office, Ul. Petefi Sandora 33, HR-31327 Bilje, Croatia,
e-mail: tmikuska@pedos.hr
3Lonjsko Polje Nature Park Management Office, Trg Petra Sva~i}a, HR – 44324 Jasenovac, Croatia,
e-mail: pp.lonjsko.polje@sk.tel.hr 
4Department of Biology, University of Osijek, L. Jagera 9, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
5A. Barca 38, HR-35000 Slavonski Brod, Croatia, e-mail: mirko.setina@sb.tel.hr
6I.G. Kova~i}a 23, HR-31540 Donji Miholjac, Croatia
The Croatian Spoonbill population is part of the Pannonian population,
which may be understood as a meta-population shown by the recent breeding
dispersal in Croatia. Kopa~ki rit functions as a post-breeding gathering site
with up to 1,000 roosting birds. The network of suitable wetland habitats is
important for the survival of the species. The population had been rising until
1988, when 180 pairs bred in only one colony Krapje \ol in the Sava
Wetlands, which has eventually been destroyed by the international
melioration programme. This was the start of the dispersal of the population.
Three new colonies were established along the Sava and Drava rivers. In the
period 1999-2001, the largest colony at Jelas polje decreased rapidly due to the
(too) high water level in the fishpond. Urgent measures are needed to preserve
this important site. The restoration of the Spoonbill colony at Krapje \ol
clearly shows that protection measures are successful and necessary. The
capacity of the Croatian wetlands is at least 300 pairs of Spoonbills (sum of
maxima per site between 1980 - 2000), but the breeding population was only
88 pairs in 2001 as the preservation of the breeding sites, which are all IBAs,
was not effective. The last maximum was reached in 1997 with 218 pairs. The
feeding sites in the fishponds and alluvial wetlands are also insufficiently
preserved and an action plan for the species is needed urgently. Economic
difficulties of the fish farms especially due to high water fees, and large scale
water management schemes, such as the Danube-Sava-Adria Canal, endanger
not only the Spoonbills but the unique natural heritage of Croatia’s alluvial
wetlands along the Sava, Drava and Danube rivers. As Croatia has signed the
Rio, Bonn, Bern and Ramsar Conventions, the country has to change the old
plans and to implement its new Biodiversity Strategy.
Key words: Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia, population size, distribution, alluvial
wetlands, fish farms, flood control, river restoration 
Klju~ne besede: `li~arka, Platalea leucorodia, velikost populacije, loke, ribogojnice,
nadzor nad poplavami, obnova rek
M. Schneider-Jacoby, T. Mikuska, D. Kova~i}, J. Mikuska, M. [etina & Z. Tadi}: Dispersal by accident – the
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in Croatia
192
1. Introduction
Croatia will surely maintain the country’s great
importance for the purposes of European nature
conservation, in particular the protection of
floodplains – the alluvial wetlands of the Danube,
Sava, Drava rivers and their tributaries (Radovi}
1999). The Croatian agriculture, forestry and water
management are bearing particular responsibility in
this context, since in no other European country
alluvial forests and a mosaic of flooded grassland
including traditional land-use in floodplains have
been preserved to such extent (Ern 1990, Brundi} et
al. 2000, DPRP 2000, Horvat et al. 1974, Prpi} &
Raus 1991, Schneider-Jacoby 1994, 1999a, b). 
Birds perfectly illustrate the outstanding role
Croatia is playing in the preservation of the European
natural heritage, but data collection and countrywide
census techniques have to be improved (Tucker &
Heath 1994, Schneider-Jacoby 2000). As we have
good actual information on the status of the Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodia in Croatia, which is a highly
endangered species in Europe (SPEC category 2 -
Tucker and Heath 1994, European Threat Status E,
EU Birds Directive/Appendix I (79/409/EEC), Bern
Convention/Appendix II, Bonn Convention/Appendix
II, compare Heath & Evans 2000, Hut 1992), we
would like to use this species to point out various
improvements and gaps in the country’s nature
conservation system and to monitor the implementa-
tion of its environmental policy. 
With regard to the justification of the protection
strategies and their implementation, birds as
indicators are very valuable especially in nature
conservation as used for example by the Ramsar
Convention (1% criteria), the EU Natura 2000
Network or Emerald Network to cover the member
states of the Council of Europe (compare Heath and
Evans 2000). Nature conservation indicators thus are:
animal or plant species, which require the protection
of a site, whose existence or absence is proving
impacts on landscapes and whose requirements of
habitat are throwing light upon the necessary
protection measures (Schneider-Jacoby 1993). For
many reasons birds are most suitable for the procedure
as described above. Such bird species, like the
Spoonbill with very special adaptations as its spoon-
like bill (Müller 1988), and distribution limited to
very few sites in Europe (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997,
Snow & Perrins 1998, Tucker and Heath 1994),
can be used as nature conservation indicators. It seems
very important to distinguish these notions since bio-
indication is mostly restricted to the field of
environmental protection (Schneider-Jacoby 1993,
Kushlan 1993, 1997). Mühlenberg (1989), for
instance, is using target species (Zielarten) in order to
justify and estimate nature conservation measures.
The present paper will use the Spoonbill to identify
large-scale riverine landscapes in Croatia that offer
very special habitats for this highly specialised large
water bird.
2. Methodology
In order to define and delimit the important parts of
the Central Sava Basin between Gradi{ka, Sisak, Ivani}
Grad, Kutina and Novska that have to be protected,
observations of all threatened bird species in Europe
were carried out in 1986, 1987 and 1989 (compare
Schneider-Jacoby 1993, 1999bc), including infor-
mation on behaviour, vegetation, land-use and water
level. The number of species per grid square (2x2 km,
Gauß-Krüger-net) is offering a good overview for the
large region. The area includes Lonjsko Polje Nature
Park with its riverine forests, flooded pastures and
meadow landscapes as well as the transition zone and
the former floodplain with traditional agriculture.
Outside this area, there are only some important
concentrations of birds that have also been monitored:
the fish-ponds of Lipovljani and Oku~ani, the Pakra
water reservoir, which is the most important waterfowl
roost, and the alluvial wetlands along the Sunja river.
Since 1998, the new Nature Park is continuing the
monitoring (D. Kova~i} in lit.).
Since 1989, the situation changed considerably as
Spoonbills have changed their distribution in Croatia.
Thus a review of the Spoonbill population in Croatia
has to summarise the old research and compare the
information with the new situation and recently
established breeding sites. In contrast to the situation
in the sixties, when the colony in the Sava Wetlands
was found by accident without steady monitoring
before, Kopa~ki rit has been researched for more than
a 100 years. Although huge numbers of roosting
Spoonbills have been recorded and other heron
species are known to breed in large colonies, this site
was seldom used by Spoonbills for breeding (Maji} &
Mikuska 1972, Mikuska & Mikuska 1994). Due to
the regular observations and active preservation work
of Mirko [etina (Jelas polje, Slavonski Brod) and
Zdravko Tadi} (fish farm Donji Miholjac and
relating Podravina), some reliable information on
these two outstanding wetlands including their
environment has been collected. Jozsef Mikuska has
regularly counted the Po`ega-Ko{ka alluvial lowlands
with the two large fish farms.
Acrocephalus 22 (109): 3 – 18, 2002
193
3. Results
3.1. Population development and dispersal
Spoonbills were numerous in many wetlands but did
decrease rapidly due to habitat loss all over Europe
(Tucker and Heath 1994). Recently some countries
were recolonised (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997, Snow &
Perrins 1998). In five Central European countries the
decrease has reached a bottom line (Bauer &
Berthold 1996) and populations are slowly
recovering: in the Netherlands (Voslamnber 1994),
Hungary (Müller 1987 c), Austria (Festetics &
Leisler 2000), Yugoslavia (Puzovi} et al. 1999) as
well as in Croatia.
After the second World War, Spoonbills bred for
the first time in 1954 at Kopa~ki rit (Maji} &
Mikuska 1972). During this time the alluvial wetland
was still much larger and the transition zone had not
been transferred into arable land. Pastoralism was also
allowed in the wetlands. Although the habitat was
ideal during that time, breeding could not be
confirmed any more during the following thirty years.
In 1961, a small colony was found in the Sava
Wetlands by Ern (1985, 1990) near the village of
Krapje. Rucner (1970) hypothesised that this colony
had been established already as early as in 1949
(compare Kralj 1997), but no detailed information
has been obtained. At that time, the locality of Krapje
\ol was an intact oxbow connected with the Strug
river during high waters. It became the first
Ornithological Reserve in Croatia, proclaimed in
1963. The population grew continuously (Gelen~ir
unpubl. for 1962-1984, Rucner 1970) and became one
of the largest colonies in Europe in 1989 (Figure 1,
Grimmet & Jones 1989, Schneider-Jacoby 1993). 
Although the site was strictly protected, the
internationally planned and financed water works
(Consortium 1972, compare Brundi} et al. 2000)
did create a polder around the oxbow and started to
drain the former pastures and meadows adjacent to
the reed beds. The hedgerow landscape named “greda”
on the higher rarely flooded elevations was removed
and only one row of bushes on the eastern side of the
oxbows was maintained in the several hundred
hectares large lowland area between the two large Sava
bends and the Strug river. Although a drainage canal
through the reserve was blocked in 1987, the overall
lack of water led to a fast decrease of the water level.
In 1987, the Spoonbills left their breeding site on
willow bushes and moved to the reed beds in the
northern part of the oxbow. This movement was
caused by local people looking for firewood near the
village, and the colony moved to the deeper northern
part of the oxbows in the reed beds. 
In 1989, the mixed colony abandoned the famous
and protected site, destroyed by internationally
financed programme for the Sava Basin, as there was
not enough water to guarantee protection of nests
from predators. While the herons species did breed
along the Sava river (e.g. Jasenovac) or in oxbows
inside villages (e.g. Puska), the Spoonbills did not
settle down during the whole year of 1989. Thus a
restoration project was immediately initiated
(Dezeli} & Schneider-Jacoby 1999). In autumn
1990, it was possible to reflood the site for the first
time through pipes, planned and constructed by the
water management in Novska, the Croatian Institute
for Nature Preservation and Euronatur. The
Zoological Society of Frankfurt sponsored the works.
But already in 1990 the majority of the Sava
population had moved 100 km downwards the Sava
to the large fish farm called Jelas polje (Jelas Field)
covering 20,000 ha and began to breed there ([etina
1996). Other new small groups of Spoonbills
attempted to form colonies also in Slavonia near the
famous roosting site at Kopa~ki rit. (Figures 1, 2a-b &
Table 4, see Appendix) (Mikuska & Mikuska 1994).
During 1991, after the successful restoration of the
colony at Krapje \ol, some pairs that had remained in
the area for two years began to breed again and herons
came back to the reserve. But in two years no young
were raised in the most important Spoonbill site in
Croatia because the large wetland complex of more the
100,000 ha did not offer a second suitable breeding
site for the species.
Figure 1: Population development of the Spoonbill in Croatia
Slika 1: Razvoj populacije `li~ark na Hrva{kem
M. Schneider-Jacoby, T. Mikuska, D. Kova~i}, J. Mikuska, M. [etina & Z. Tadi}: Dispersal by accident – the
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in Croatia
194
3.2. Breeding sites
The Croatian Spoonbill colonies breed both in reed
beds and on willow bushes. The Krapje \ol colony
was for over 25 years situated inside a dense group of
willow bushes, because within the floodplain nests
could not be built just above the water level like on sites
where the water level was relatively stable or even
controlled (Müller 1987a). Only during 1987 and
1988, when the water level decreased and floods could
no longer reach the oxbow, nest where built in reed
beds. After re-flooding the oxbow, the birds moved
back to the old place on the willows. The Krapje \ol
oxbow is very special as it is the only large one without
houses, since natural levees of the Sava and the old
meanders are the only elevations suitable for house
building. As water levels are unpredictable in the
alluvial wetlands, Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo and
Grey Herons Ardea cinerea are the only large water birds
forming colonies inside the Sava Wetlands in trees.
At Jelas Field, the Spoonbill colony was built in the
middle of a fishpond on dense emerging vegetation
consisting mainly of Typha latifolia and T. angustifolia.
Until 1998, the colony used this site and remained
protected. But for the purpose of fish production, the
water level within the pond has been artificially
increased from 1.20 – 1.30 m up to 1.60 m, which has
caused deterioration of the emerging vegetation.
During the 1999-2001 these stands died out and as a
result the Spoonbills abandoned the colony and no
longer bred there in 2001 ([etina unpubl.). While the
heron species have moved to another fishpond, the
spoonbills have been much more sensitive to the
changing conditions, as in the Sava Wetlands ten years
earlier.
At Na{i~ka Breznica fishponds, Spoonbills breed in
reeds (Phragmites austrialis, Typha latifolia) along with
other heron species that breed in willow trees. The
colony is situated along the border of a pond and it is
prone to disturbance by fishermen and guards.
Table 1: An overview of the Spoonbill colonies in Croatia
Tabela 1: Pregled `li~arkinih kolonij na Hrva{kem
Colony and site/  Maximum Vegetation / Vegetacija  Willow bushes / Vrbovje
Kolonija in lokaliteta (year / leto) Reedbeds / Trsti~evje
Krapje \ol (IBA Sava  180 pairs/ Only in 1987 and 1988 (little During all other years a mixed 
Wetlands / savska mokri{~a)   parov water) / Samo v letih 1987 in  colony with 4 heron species 
Type / Tip: oxbow /  (1989) 1988 / malo vode) on dense bushes growing in 
mandevska mrtvica water / V preostalih letih me{ana
kolonija 4 vrst ~apelj na gostem 
grmi~evju, rasto~em v vodi
Jelas polje / Jelas Field 125 pairs/ Typha spec., mixed colony with 4
Type / Tip: fish farm/ parov heron species and Plegadis falcinellus/
ribogojnica (1994) Typha spec., me{ana kolonija 4
vrst ~apelj in Plegadis falcinellus
Donji Miholjac (IBA)  11 pairs/ Reed, mixed heron colony with 3
Type / Tip: parov heron species / Trsti~je, me{ana 
fish farm / ribogojnica (1998) kolonija 3 vrst ~apelj
Kopa~ki rit (IBA) 11 pairs/ In 1990 mixed heron colony with 3 In 1954 mixed colony with 5
Type / Tip: parov  heron species / V letu 1990 me{ana heron species /  V letu 1954
natural wetland /naravno kolonija 3 vrst ~apelj me{ana kolonija 5 vrst ~apelj
mokri{~e (1954) 
Abandoned fish pond/ 3 pairs/ 
opu{~en ribnik (1990) pari
Na{i~ka Breznica (IBA) 31 pairs/ Mixed colony with 4 heron species/ 
Type / Tip: parov Me{ana kolonija 4 vrst ~apelj
fish farm / ribogojnica (1994)
Acrocephalus 22 (109): 3 – 18, 2002
195
Figure 2a-b: Distribution map of Spoonbills in Croatia in 1988 (a) and after 1990 (b) with maximum colony size
Slika 2a-b: Karta `li~arkine raz{irjenosti na Hrva{kem v letu 1988 (a) in po letu 1990 (b) z najve~jo velikostjo kolonij
a
b
196
At Donji Miholjac fishponds, Spoonbills breed in
the Purple Heron Ardea purpurea colony situated in a
large reed bed in the middle of the fishpond. Small
numbers of Great Egrets Egretta alba and Grey
Herons are also using the same nest site. The reed
stand is surrounded by water that prevents predator
intrusion. During the low water levels, however, wild
boars Sus scrofa enter the colony causing egg and
young loss to the nesting birds (Tadi}, unpubl.).
In the Kopa~ki rit wetland, Spoonbills bred during
1954 in willow trees in a mixed species colony at Lake
Kopa~evo. This colony, however, was destroyed by
fishermen. During 1990, three pairs of Spoonbills
attempted to nest in the reeds inside the mixed heron
species colony on one of the abandoned ponds at
Podunavlje fishponds. For unknown reason, this
breeding attempt failed and no young were raised
despite the fact that other herons raised their young
with no trouble at all. In 1999, the water level in the
pond was too low for herons to breed and they
relocated their colony back to the willow trees of Lake
Kopa~ko.
3.3. Feeding habitats
Spoonbills need shallow water (up to 30 cm) to search
for prey (Table 2), a habitat which is limited even in
alluvial wetlands. They prefer muddy, clay or fine-
sand substrates for foraging, moving their bills from
side to side (Hancock et al. 1992, Müller 1988). This
is why flooded pastures – especially when they are
rooted up by pigs – in the depressions along the Sava
tributaries of Lonja, Strug and Sunja as well as
temporarily drained fishponds are the most important
feeding grounds (Table 3, Schneider-Jacoby 1993). 
It is very interesting that these optimal feeding
conditions are found at each place only periodically
and that a prolonged monitoring is required to find
out all these foraging bottleneck sites for the
population (Figure 3). During 1987, the Krapje \ol
colony left, as firewood cutting caused a severe
disturbance there. The number of Spoonbills
increased to 400 on feeding sites as adults and non-
breeders stayed together all day. 1988 was a typical
year to illustrate the use of different sites during the
Table 2: Preferred water level at Spoonbill’s feeding sites in the Sava Wetlands (25 controls in 31 test areas, SCHNEIDER-
JACOBY 1993)
Tabela 2: Preferen~na vi{ina vode v `li~arkinih prehranjevali{~ih na savskih mokri{~ih (25 pregledov v 31 testnih obmo~jih,
SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993)
Water depth/ % of observed area/ Observed birds/ Birds per 100 ha/
Globina vode % pregledanega obmo~ja [t. opa`enih `li~ark Ptic na 100 ha
Dry soil / Suha tla 53.0 0 0  
Wet soil / Mokra tla 16.0 0 0
Shallow water / Nizka voda (< 10 cm) 4.3 466 4.6
10 – 30 cm  water / vode 5.6 1765 15.5 
> 30 cm water / vode 5.6 123 0.7  
100 cm water / vode 14.2 0 0  
Table 3: Preferred land-use on Spoonbill’s feeding sites in the Sava Wetlands (25 controls in 31 test areas, SCHNEIDER-JACOBY
1993)
Tabela 3: Prefere~na raba tal v `li~arkinih prehranjevali{~ih na savskih mokri{~ih (25 pregledov v 31 testnih obmo~jih,
SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993)
Land-use / Raba tal % of observed area/ Observed birds/ Birds per 100 ha/
% pregledanega obmo~ja [t. opa`enih `li~ark Ptic na 100 ha       
Fish pond (or unused) / Ribnik (ali pa ni v rabi) 29.8 1197 1.7
Meadows / Travniki 18.9 0 0  
Arable land / Orna zemlja 27.6 0 0  
Pastures / Pa{niki (mixed cattle / razli~na `ivina) 19.4 575 1.3
Pastures / Pa{niki (only pigs / samo pra{i~i) 4.2 582 5.9
M. Schneider-Jacoby, T. Mikuska, D. Kova~i}, J. Mikuska, M. [etina & Z. Tadi}: Dispersal by accident – the
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in Croatia
Acrocephalus 22 (109): 3 – 18, 2002
197
breeding season. Nearly 50 % of the adults from the
colony were found feeding together on one site during
the two-week census (Schneider-Jacoby 1993).
Figure 3: Preferred Spoonbill’s feedings sites in the Sava
Wetlands in 1987 (a) and 1988 (b) during the systematic
monitoring (SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993). (TG = fish farm, LP =
Lonjsko Polje, MP = Mokro Polje)
Slika 3: Preferen~na `li~arkina prehranjevali{~a na savskih
mokri{~ih leta 1987 (a) in 1988 (b) med sistemati~nim
monitoringom (SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993). (TG = ribogojnica, LP
= Lonjsko polje, MP = Mokro polje)
During the intensive reseach period in the Sava
Wetlands, fishponds were mainly used as foraging
habitats during spring and after the breeding season
before leaving the area. During the important chick-
rearing period, the pastures - including the tributaries
during low water levels – offer ideal feeding places,
since the decreasing water concentrates the food items
inside the remaining water pools (Figure 4). During
this time of the year, fishponds are usually filled with
water and therefore lose their importance as foraging
sites. 
As shown in Figure 3, there are only very short
periods during which each feeding site in the alluvial
wetlands is preferred. Smaller and larger flocks of up
to 40 birds leave the colony together to visit these
optimal sites. The advantage of the large-scale Sava
wetlands lies in the fact that there are at least nine
large pasture and two fish farms, each with more than
ten ponds with different water regime. When the
water surface shrinks (Figure 5) in the alluvial
wetlands due to the decreasing water level, Spoonbills
find, at each pasture, pools and depressions that offer,
at a specific time, optimal hunting conditions and
abundant prey. It is a short period (from few days to a
month) but at this time up to 400 birds find plenty of
food before they have to leave for the next site (Figure
4). During dry periods or high water levels, these key
feeding sites did not host a single Spoonbill over long
periods.
3.4. Home range of the colonies
The typical habitats for the Spoonbill in Croatia are
the alluvial wetlands along the Sava river. The
breeding ground is either situated at an oxbow filled
with sedimentation and overgrown by succession,
such as at Krapje \ol in Lonjsko Polje Nature Park or
at a fishpond (Jelas Field). However, the monitoring
in the Central Sava Basin has indicated that the
Spoonbills use every appropriate feeding site within a
range of 25 to 30 km from their breeding place
(Figure 6a-b). It is therefore not necessary for the
species’ protected area to include the breeding site
only (Special Ornithological Reserve Krapje \ol = 30
ha), but that a surface of some 60,000 ha alluvial
N
um
be
r 
/ 
[t
ev
ilo
a
b
N
um
be
r 
/ 
[t
ev
ilo
vzreja mladi~ev/
rearing the
youngs
oxbow
Sava
settlement
trad. landscape
meadows
pastures
tributary
softwood forest
hardwood forest
fish-ponds
reparcelled land
odhod/
departure
prihod/
arrival
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Aug-Okt Mai-Jul Jan-Apr
Figure 4: Preferred Spoonbill’s feeding sites (n = 5491, no.
of observ. = 101) in the profile of the Sava Wetlands
(SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993)
Slika 4: Preferen~na `li~arkina prehranjevali{~a (n = 5491,
{t. opaz. = 101) v profilu savskih mokri{~ (SCHNEIDER-JACOBY
1993)
N
o.
 o
f 
bi
rd
s 
/ 
[t
. 
pt
ic
N
um
be
r 
/ 
[t
ev
ilo
a2 Year / Leto 1988
b2 Year / Leto 1988
198
wetlands and fish farms have to be protected as an
alluvial ecosystem. Today, the Central Sava Basin’s
Lonjsko Polje Nature Park (50,600 ha in size) covers
large areas of pastures and meadows. However, some
of the most important alluvial areas on the right side
of the Sava river at the Sunja tributary, as well as both
fish farms that are Spoonbill’s key foraging sites, are
situated outside the protected area (compare Figure
3). 
Within the Jelas Field colony along the Sava river
some large feeding sites have been preserved. The
birds from this colony fly east up to 35 km to feed in
the remaining floodplain area at Dvorina and Gajna
wet pastures, as well as up to 27 km upstream the Sava
on the Barda~a fishponds in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and the appertaining wetlands. This is consistent with
literature data that indicate that feeding areas are
usually situated within 35-40 km of the nesting site
(Hancock et al. 1992, Hut 1992, Müller 1987b,
Wetten & Wintermans 1986).
It is also important to understand the development
in the Na{i~ka Breznica fishponds that this area is still
situated in the large complex of the remaining alluvial
forest. Along the Vu~ica, a stream parallel to the
Drava river, there are still some pastures and wet areas
with changing water level. Thus these Spoonbills can
also search for food outside the fishpond area. While
in the lower Sava Basin near Jelas Field the Dvorina
and Gajna pastures are protected, both breeding and
foraging sites near Donji Miholjac and Na{i~ka
Breznica fishponds are still lacking legal protection
status. Moreover, due to the Cormorant depredation
activities, fishermen are causing permanent
disturbance near the colonies.
3.5. Post-breeding gathering sites
One of the most important post-breeding sites for
Spoonbills in Croatia is Kopa~ki rit with its wetlands.
Up to 1,000 birds gather in late August and early
M. Schneider-Jacoby, T. Mikuska, D. Kova~i}, J. Mikuska, M. [etina & Z. Tadi}: Dispersal by accident – the
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in Croatia
a1 Year / Leto 1987
Fl
oo
de
d 
su
rf
ac
e 
(%
) 
/ 
Po
pl
av
lje
ne
 p
ov
r{
in
e 
(%
)
b1 Year / Leto 1987
Figure 5: Changes in numbers of Spoonbills on the two most important feeding sites (Mokropolje in 1987 (a1) and 1988
(a2) and Poganovo polje in 1987 (b1) and 1988 (b2)) according to the flood and dry cycles of the Sava Wetlands, shown as
percentage of flooded surface of the pastures (SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993)
Slika 5: Spremembe v {tevilu `li~ark na dveh najpomembnej{ih prehranjevali{~ih glede na poplavna in su{na obdobja na
savskih mokri{~ih (Mokro polje leta 1987 (a1) in 1988 (a2) ter Poganovo polje 1987 (b1) in 1988 (b2)), prikazane v odstotkih
poplavljenih povr{in polj (SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993)
Acrocephalus 22 (109): 3 – 18, 2002
199
September to feed and roost before their autumn
migration to the Mediterranean and Africa. During
the day in late summer and autumn, birds forage in
numerous natural shallow depressions with abundant
prey or in draining fishponds, and roost on Kopa~ko
Lake. 
In the last few years, flocks of up to 120 birds are
trying to overwinter, as indicated by the mid-winter
waterfowl counts data, in the area between the Drava
and Sava rivers.
4. Discussion
4.1. Population development
According to Tucker & Heath (1994) and Bauer &
Berthold (1996), the Central European Spoonbill
population is divided into the Dutch-Spanish and the
Pannonian (Central European) populations. Its
migration and wintering sites overlap only slightly
(Hut 1992, Müller 1984a,b). The Pannonian po-
pulation is today concentrated in Hungary, where it
has reached 600 – 750 pairs (Bauer & Berthold
1996, Müller 1984a,b). The basis for its survival are
the good conservation measures particularly in
Hortobagy National Park with a number of fish farms
and traditional wet pastures, just as in the Sava
Wetlands. Here the fishponds are included in the
National Park’s conservation scheme. In the areas
where the alluvial dynamics has been destroyed, as in
Kis Balaton, the Spoonbills left their breeding sites
(Müller 1987c). In Yugoslavia, the population
reached 130-140 pairs during the 1990s (Puzovi} et
al. 1999). On Be~ej fishponds (Tisza river), Spoonbills
began to nest in 1990 (1 pair), and during 1992 the
population increased to 45 pairs (Luka~ & Luka~
1995). In 1997, 60-80 pairs bred there, 50-60 in 1998.
Since the «sudden» increase corresponds with the
«dispersal by accident» described in this paper, this
could indicate that the birds also originate from the
large colony in the Sava Wetlands as from those at
Jelas polje. 
Other countries (e.g. Austria, Slovakia and the
Czech Republic) hosted only small colonies of 10
pairs on average in the early nineties (Bauer &
Berthold 1996). At Lake Neusiedl, the famous
Spoonbill population dropped from up to 250 pairs
to zero in 1990, as land-use around the lake had
changed (Dick et al. 1994, Müller 1984a,b, ÖGV
1993). In the last few years, the population rose again
from 13 pairs in 1992 up to 77 pairs in 2000 and 40
pairs in 2001 (Klein, Nemeth, Ranner &
Rössler/Archiv BirdLife Austria, Festetics &
Leisler 2000). First actions have been undertaken to
restore some of the former pastures (Dick et al. 1994).
The Croatian Spoonbill population is part of the
Pannonian population which may be understood as a
meta-population, just as shown by the recent dispersal
in Croatia and Yugoslavia and the research into the
exchange of birds between different colonies (Müller
1984a,b). Kopa~ki rit as a post-breeding gathering site
with up to 1,000 roosting birds also shows a
connection between the colonies (Mikuska &
Mikuska 1994). This is true of the entire Pannonian
population, as birds from colonies in Hungary and
Austria visit the site (Müller 1984a,b).
The network of suitable habitats is most important
for the Spoonbill’s survival. A good basis to
demonstrate the needs of the species are the Dutch
Figure 6a-b: a) Distribution of Spoonbills in the Sava
Wetlands shown as the maximum of birds observed per 2 x 2
km grid square (SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993), b) distribution of
pastures in the alluvial wetlands of the Sava river
Slika 6a-b: a) Raz{irjenost `li~ark na savskih mokri{~ih,
prikazana kot maksimum ptic, zabele`enih v kvadratu,
velikem 2 x 2 km (SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993), b) raz{irjenost
pa{nikov v savskih lokah
Pastures and meadows/
Pa{niki in travniki
Streams/
Vodotoki
Lonjsko Polje  Nature Park
Number per square/
[tevilo v kvadratu 
maximum = 432
a
b
200
materials for the preparation of the species’
conservation plan in the Netherlands (Hut 1992).
The habitat requirements have been also shown at
Lake Neusiedl (Müller 1987b). After the dramatic
decrease of floodplains in the last 200 years
(Schneider 1987, DPRP 1999), only few suitable sites
have survived in the Pannonian plain. In addition, the
dramatic land-use and water-level changes have led to
a dramatic decrease in some huge colonies, such as at
Lake Neusiedl (Dick at al. 1994, Österreichische
Ges. Vogelkunde 1993) and Kis Balaton (Müller
1987c). The recent development in Croatia shows
how very important it is to have a network of sites
suitable for breeding and foraging, as all breeding sites
are surrounded by alluvial wetlands. 
Until 1988, the entire Croatian population bred
on one site only, i.e. at Krapje \ol, which is situated
in the centre of the optimal habitats in Croatia. After
the oxbow was drained, the birds failed to breed in the
Central Sava Basin for two years, and it was only a
well organised multi-partner project that helped to
restore the breeding site in a very short time (Dezeli}
& Schneider-Jacoby 2000). In the meanwhile, most
of the birds found a retreat in the Jelas Polje fish farm
([etina 1996). This protected breeding site and –
most important for the overall population – feeding
sites inside the fish farm and along the river Sava were
throughout the breeding season the centre of the
Croatian population for no less than ten years. It is
still interesting to see that this network of alluvial
wetlands and fishponds around Slavonski Brod,
including the Bosnian side of the Sava, has been
capable to provide enough food for such a large
colony with more than hundred pairs. 
At the same time, other new colonies were
established or birds just attempted to breed during
certain years (Kopa~ki rit). On the two sites in Eastern
Slavonia, Spoonbills have bred continuously for
several years now. Concerning the stability of the
population, the new distribution triggered off by the
unfavourable situation in the Central Sava Basin
during 1989 is somewhat better, as at present the
breeding success does not depend on one site only and
the population can use all possible feeding habitats for
its reproduction. Considering that Lonjsko Polje
Nature Park had hosted a much greater number of
breeding pairs prior to 1990, the Croatian future
capacity for the species can be estimated at 300 pairs
at the least, if the breeding sites (e.g. in Jelas Polje) as
well as feedings sites are preserved. 
The preparations for the species’ action plan are
part of the Croatian conservation policy (Radovi}
1999, compare Hut 1992). For each site, a complete
list of all potential feeding sites and proposals for
further restoration measures are needed (e.g. Brundi}
et al. 2000). Kopa~ki rit Nature Park has lost its
transition zone since the flood control dike was built
and large areas were drained and turned into intensive
agriculture. The new management practice and the
international GEF/Worldbank programme has to
restore these lost habitats in order to improve
breeding conditions, although not only for Spoonbills
but for other species as well, such as Corn Crake Crex
crex, White Stork Ciconia ciconia and Lesser-spotted
Eagle Aquila pomarina.
The protection of the Krapje \ol colony has been
improved in the recent years. A 50 ha buffer zone on
the western side was created with the aid of Euronatur
and the EECONET Action Fund. The Zoological
Society of Frankfurt financed the construction of a
new observation hide. The Nature Park controls the
water level inside the oxbow to guarantee optimal
breeding conditions and protection from terrestrial
predators. 
Other nesting sites have no such favourable status.
The colonies at Donji Miholjac and Na{i~ka Breznica
fishponds are not protected and no special
management or protection measures have been
applied. At Jelas Field, the disappearance of dense
vegetation (Typha spp.) was triggered off by too high
water level maintained for fish production purposes.
Old reedbeds are a precondition for the establishment
of Spoonbill colonies at Lake Neusiedl and have to be
preserved (Festetics & Leisler 2000). The Bern
Convention prohibits deliberate damage of breeding
sites of the Appendix II species. Recent economic
trends and extremely high water fees are threatening
the existence of all fishponds in Croatia despite the
fact that they are crucial for the survival of many
waterbird species, such as Spoonbill and Ferruginous
Duck, and IBAs (compare MoEPP 2002, Radovi}
1998, Radovi} 1999). In the recent Birdlife
International report, all three sites (Jelas Field, Donji
Miholjac and Na{i~ka Breznica fishponds) meet the
criteria of the Ramsar convention and qualify for the
inclusion on the Ramsar list (BirdLife Inter-
national 2001). If the government and other stake-
holders do not take immediate action, Croatia could
lose all these important wetland sites.
4.2. Ecological significance
All breeding sites in Croatia have been identified as
IBAs and are part of larger wetland complexes along
the Sava, Drava and Danube rivers (Schneider-
Jacoby 1994). All these wetlands are excellent
M. Schneider-Jacoby, T. Mikuska, D. Kova~i}, J. Mikuska, M. [etina & Z. Tadi}: Dispersal by accident – the
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in Croatia
Acrocephalus 22 (109): 3 – 18, 2002
201
examples for the former much larger Pannonian
wetland complexes and host a variety of highly
endangered plants and animals that have adapted,
such as Spoonbills, to the flood and dry cycles of
alluvial wetlands. In the Sava Wetlands, the
distribution of the threatened water plants, such as
Marsilea quadrifolia, Nymphoides pelata or Trapa
natans, overlaps with the Spoonbill’s feeding sites
(Schneider-Jacoby 1990). Specialist fish species,
such as Umbra krameri and Misgurnus fossilis, still live
in these alluvial habitats. The Spoonbill colonies are
excellent indicators of the rich large-scale alluvial
landscapes and not only of the old reed stands
(compare Festetics & Leisler 2000). The extensively
used shallow carp fishponds of Croatia have similar
character species as the long flooded depressions of
the Sava, Drava and Danube rivers. The bird species
composition has a high similarity (Schneider-Jacoby
1993) and several endangered plants grow in areas
covering thousands of hectares (Nymphoides peltata
and Trapa natans). 
The highly diverse alluvial landscape around the
Spoonbill colonies provides the endangered bird species
with their specific habitats. All colonies are mixed with
other heron species or even Pygmy Cormorants and
Glossy Ibises as in D. Miholjac or Jelas Field. Rare duck
species, e.g. Ferruginous Duck, are still common where
the traditional management has been maintained
(Radovi} et al. 1998). Large colonies of Whiskered
Terns (up to 1000 pairs) also breed there on the
floating water plants, such as in D. Miholjac in the
summer of 2001 (Tadi} in lit.). The Spoonbills just
point at these great, highly divers habitats and indicate
the special ecological conditions through the flood and
dry cycles and their extensive use.
4.3. Long-term preservation endangered
The flooded pastures, being the key feeding site for
many endangered bird species of the alluvial wetlands
(Schneider-Jacoby 1993, 1999b), are to be main-
tained by using the old animal domestic species (e.g.
Kova~ 1994, Schneider-Jacoby 1994, 1999b). At
Lake Neusiedl, pastures were very similar in the past
to those in the Sava Wetlands (Dick et al. 1994), and
their loss had a major impact on the Spoonbill
population (Müller 1987b). Croatia has already
offered rewards for keeping the Posavina horses and
the Turopolje pigs. Agricultural policy has to aim at
maintaining private small farms and thus enabling the
country to preserve its unique landscapes and intact
ecosystems as a basis for tourism (Gugi} 1999, IUCN
1995, Schneider-1996, 2000a). The maintenance of
large-scale pastures in the lowlands is one of the key
actions for the preservation of the Spoonbill colonies.
All four active colonies still have such habitats within
the home range of the colony. A marketing and
management project for the products from these
pastures is needed to guarantee the long-term use in
the traditional way. The logo of Lonjsko Polje Nature
Park already indicates a close connection between the
pastures (symbolised by the leaf of Marsilea
quadrifolia), the floods and the Spoonbill (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Logo of Lonjsko Polje Nature Park
Slika 7: Logotip Naravnega parka Lonjsko polje
By designating large retention areas in the Sava
wetlands, the Croatian Water management has
prepared the ground for the protection of these
landscapes in the Central Sava Basin. The new review
gives hope that more then 100,000 ha will be
protected in the near future (Brundi} et al. 2000).
From the ecological point of view, the designation of
extensive floodplains for flood prevention is the only
and appropriate strategy to pursue. The Croatian
example of the Sava wetlands should be followed by
all rivers basin management bodies in future. All
preserved flooded areas are to be integrated in this
202
excellent conservation and floodcontrol programme
(Brundi} et al. 2000), while measures to prevent
flooding should have the smallest possible impact on
the natural processes inside the alluvial wetlands
(Braun 1993).
In other Croatian areas, the preservation of feeding
sites in the alluvial wetlands has not been secured. The
plans to built the Danube-Sava-Adria Canal (Mar-
u{i} 1993) have endangered the alluvial wetlands
connected with the Jelas Field colony (Schneider-
Jacoby 2001, WWF 2002), which has only a couple of
years ago been the largest in Croatia. The dam near
Samac, which would transfer 200 km of the Sava river
into a reservoir, would flood the feeding sites and
pastures along the Sava. The next dam is planned even
inside Lonjsko Polje Nature Park itself (near
Jasenovac) and would destroy the natural water
regime of Mokro Polje, one of the most important
feeding habitats for the Krapje Ðol colony. All these
plans are part of the actual Physical Planning
Programme in Croatia (Republika Hrvatska 1999)
and have been enforced by the Ministry for Traffic in
2001 (Bednjicki & Grubi{i} 2001). In addition,
there are still plans to dam the Drava river, which
would affect the colonies in D. Miholjac and Na{i~ka
Breznica.
A big threat is also the rapid loss of fish farms in
Croatia. One of the two fish farms – Oku~ani with
500 ha - in the Central Sava wetlands (compare Figure
3) has not been operational for the past three years at
least and it is used for hunting tourism only. On the
second farm (near Lipovljani), fish production has
been maintained only on 30 % of the available surface
by the Croatian Forest Enterprise, although with a
great annual loss of money (Gec in lit.). From the five
fish farms in the Central Sava Basin, three have been
closed during the last years, including the Ramsar Site
Crna Mlaka in 2001, while the other two operate on
the basis of some 30 % of their capacities. This is a
tremendous loss of wetlands and habitats for a
number of endangered birds species. The overall
situation in Croatia is similar, as the fish farms have
economic problems due to the loss of markets and
greatly increased water fees (rising up to 150  per ha
in 2005). Although still maintained, the other three
colonies are endangered by these crises. International
conventions, such as those signed in Ramsar, Bonn
and Bern, and the Croatian Biodiversity strategy do
not allow a loss of these wetlands, since they host
highly endangered species.
In the last few years, some large scale programmes,
such as the Central Sava Basin project (Brundi} et al.
2000) and the Drava-Mura Biosphere Reserve
(Euronatur 1998, Schneider-Jacoby 1998) have
emerged. These new approaches to the maintenance
of alluvial wetlands support the biodiversity strategy
of the country (Radovi} 1999). Urgent measures are
needed to change the old projects and programmes,
such as the Danube-Sava-Adria Canal (Maru{i} 1993)
and the Physical Planning Programme of Croatia
(Republika Hrvatska 1999). It is of utmost impor-
tance to adapt the old programmes to the country’s
new environmental policy and its international
political framework in order to maintain the unique
natural heritage.
Acknowledgement: This article is dedicated to the
memory of Mr. Ivo Skledar, the first warden of the
Krapje \ol Ornithological Reserve. The authors
would like to express their thanks to all who have
conducted a research on the specified sites in the past
and provided us with the missing data. This voluntary
work is a basis for the preservation of the natural
heritage in Croatia.
5. Povzetek
Populacija `li~ark na Hrva{kem je del panonske
populacije, ki jo lahko razumemo kot “meta po-
pulacijo”, tako kot je to pokazala nedavna gnezditvena
razpr{itev vrste na Hrva{kem. Kopa~ki rit deluje kot
nekak{no pognezditveno zbirno mesto z do 1000
preno~ujo~ih `li~ark. Mre`a ustreznih mokri{~ je
nadvse pomembna za pre`ivetje te vrste. Njena
populacija je rasla do leta 1988, ko je v koloniji Krapji
Ðol v savski loki, {e preden je bila ta uni~ena zaradi
mednarodnega melioracijskega programa (slika 1),
gnezdilo180 parov. To je bil hkrati tudi za~etek
razpr{evanja te populacije. Tako so vzdol` Save in
Drave nastale tri nove kolonije. V zadnjih treh letih pa
se je najve~ja kolonija na Jelas polju naglo zmanj{ala,
in sicer zaradi prenizke vodne gladine v tamjkaj{njem
ribniku. Za ohranitev te pomembne lokacije so
potrebni nujni ukrepi. Tako je ohranitev kolonije
`li~ark v Krapje \olu dober primer, kako so za{~itni
ukrepi potrebni in tudi uspe{ni. Kapaciteta hrva{kih
mokri{~ je vsaj 300 parov `li~ark (vsota maksimumov
na lokaliteto med letoma 1980 in 2000), vendar pa je
gnezde~a populacija zaradi neu~inkovite ohranitve
gnezdi{~ (vsa imajo status IBA) v letu 2001 {tela le 88
parov. Zadnji maksimum je bil dose`en leta 1997, ko
je gnezdilo 218 parov. Ker so slabo zavarovana tudi
prehranjevali{~a `li~ark v ribnikih in lokah, je
potreben nujen akcijski program za to vrsto.
Gospodarke te`ave ribogojnic (predvsem zastran
pla~evanja vodnogospodarskih pristojbin) in veliki
M. Schneider-Jacoby, T. Mikuska, D. Kova~i}, J. Mikuska, M. [etina & Z. Tadi}: Dispersal by accident – the
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in Croatia
Acrocephalus 22 (109): 3 – 18, 2002
203
vodnogospodarski na~rti, kakr{en je na primer kanal
Donava-Sava-Jadran, ogro`ajo ne le `li~arko, marve~
tudi enkratno naravno dedi{~ino hrva{kih lok vzdol`
Save in Donave. Ker je Hrva{ka podpisala
riodejaneirsko, bonsko, bernsko in ramsarsko
konvencijo, je dol`na spremeniti stare na~rte in
uveljaviti novo biodiverzitetno strategijo.
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Schneider-Jacoby, M. (1990): Verbreitung gefährdeter
und typischer Wasserpflanzen-Arten in der Save-
Stromaue im Bereich des geplanten Naturparks “Lonjsko
Polje”. Acta Bot. Croat. 49: 125 – 136.
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Schneider-Jacoby, M. (1994): Sava and Drava - Ecological
value and Future of the Two Main Rivers in Croatia.
Periodicum Biologorum, Zagreb. Vol. 96 (4): 348- 356.
Schneider-Jacoby, M. (1995): Drau und Mur - Leben
durch Flußdynamik. Naturerbe Verlag Jürgen Resch,
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prostora izme|u Austrije, Slovenije, Hrvatske i Ma|arske
(Sustained use of the Drava-Mura lowland as a bordering
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Prispelo / Arrived: 25. 2. 2002
Sprejeto / Accepted: 1.3.2002
M. Schneider-Jacoby, T. Mikuska, D. Kova~i}, J. Mikuska, M. [etina & Z. Tadi}: Dispersal by accident – the
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in Croatia
Acrocephalus 22 (109): 3 – 18, 2002
205
Year / Leto Donji Miholjac Jelas Field Kopa~ki rit Krapje \ol/ Na{i~ka Breznica Total/ 
Fishponds / ribniki Fishponds Sava Wet lands/ Fishponds Skupaj
savska mokri{~a
1948 - - - - -
1949 - - - G - -
1950 - - - ? - -
1951 - - - ? - 0
1952 - - - ? - 0
1953 - - - ? - 0
1954 - - 11 ? - 11
1955 - - 0 ? - 0
1956 - - 0 ? - 0
1957 - - 0 ? - 0
1958 - - 0 ? - 0
1959 - - 0 ? - 0
1960 - 0 0 ? - 0
1961 - 0 0 ? - 0
1962 - 0 0 10 - 10
1963 - 0 0 13 - 13
1964 - 0 0 25 - 25
1965 0 0 0 32 - 32
1966 0 0 0 48 - 48
1967 0 0 0 42 - 42
1968 0 0 0 3 - 3
1969 0 0 0 46 - 46
APPENDIX / PRILOGA
Table 4: The Spoonbill population in Croatia according to literature data and information of the authors. As for some years
no exact nest counts have been available – no systematic visits to the colonies – the numbers of pairs could only be
estimated: a) Kopa~ki rit: continued monitoring, except  in 1992 – 1998 due to war operations. No nesting attempts from
1954-1990. Nesting failed in 1990. After 1999, pairs throughout the year but no nesting recorded (MAJI} & MIKUSKA 1972,
MIKUSKA unpubl. 1990-1991, MIKUSKA unpubl. 1999-2001), b) Krapje Dol: G = possible breeding since 1948 (KRALJ 1997), ? no
exact information, first confirmed breeding in 1961 (ERN 1985), then increase until 1988, D = dry, new start after
rehabilitation measures, GELENCIR J. unpubl. 1962-1984; RUCNER 1970,  MAJCEN 1990, SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993, PP Lonjsko
polje unpubl. until 2001), c) Donji Miholjac: no record of  breeding prior to 1995 (TADI} unpubl. 1965-2001). Jelas field:
monitoring since the 1960’s, birds began to breed in 1990; in 2001, they were searching for a new breeding site, as the old
colony had been destroyed due to the high water level in the pond ([ETINA 1996, unpubl.), d) Na{i~ka breznica: no
information on breeding prior to 1993 (MIKUSKA unpubl. 1993-1995).
Tabela 4: Populacija `li~ark na Hrva{kem glede na literaturo in podatke avtorjev. Ker gnezda `li~ark v kolonijah nekaj let niso
bila natan~no pre{teta, je ocena parov bolj ali manj pribli`na: a) Kopa~ki rit: stalen monitoring razen v obdobju med letoma
1992 in 1998 zaradi vojnih operacij v obmo~ju. Nobenega poskusa gnezdenja v obdobju 1954-1990. Neuspe{no gnezdenje
leta 1990. Po letu 1999 pari opa`eni skozi vse leto, a brez ugotovljenega gnezdenja (MAJI} & MIKUSKA 1972,  MIKUSKA neobj.
1990-1991, MIKUSKA neobj. 1999-2001), b) Krapji dol: G = mo`no gnezdenje od leta 1948 dalje (KRALJ 1997), ? nobenega
natan~nega podatka, prvo potrjeno gnezdenje leta leta 1961 (ERN 1985), potem porast do leta 1988, D = suh, nov za~etek
po obnovitvenih ukrepih, GELENCIR J. neobj. 1962-1984; RUCNER 1970,  MAJCEN 1990, SCHNEIDER-JACOBY 1993, PP Lonjsko polje
neobj. do leta 2001), c) Donji Miholjac: nobenega podatka o gnezdenju pred letom 1995 (TADI} neobj. 1965-2001). Jelas
field: monitoring od 60ih let 20. stoletja dalje, ptice za~ele gnezditi leta 1990; v letu 2001, potem ko je bila uni~ena stara
kolonija zaradi previsoke vodne gladine v ribniku, so `li~arke za~ele iskati novo gnezdi{~e ([ETINA 1996, neobj.), d) Na{i~ka
breznica: nobenih podatkov o gnezdenju pred letom 1993 (MIKUSKA neobj. 1993-1995).
206
Year / Leto Donji Miholjac Jelas Field Kopa~ki rit Krapje \ol/ Na{i~ka Breznica Total/ 
Fishponds / ribniki Fishponds Sava Wet lands/ Fishponds Skupaj
savska mokri{~a
1970 0 0 0 69 - 69
1971 0 0 0 81 - 81
1972 0 0 0 90 - 90
1973 0 0 0 105 - 105
1974 0 0 0 98 - 98
1975 0 0 0 108 - 108
1976 0 0 0 96 - 96
1977 0 0 0 105 - 105
1978 0 0 0 102 - 102
1979 0 0 0 112 - 112
1980 0 0 0 104 - 104
1981 0 0 0 90 - 90
1982 0 0 0 84 - 84
1983 0 0 0 77 - 77
1984 0 0 0 72 - 72
1985 0 0 0 120 - 120
1986 0 0 0 150 - 150
1987 0 0 0 170 - 170
1988 0 0 0 180 - 180
1989 0 0 0 D - 0
1990 0 99 3 D - 102
1991 0 102 0 30 - 132
1992 0 100 ? 30 - 130
1993 0 112 ? 50 10 172
1994 0 125 ? 36 31 192
1995 3 107 ? 50 22 182
1996 6 112 ? 50 25 193
1997 5 123 ? 70 20 218
1998 11 110 ? 50 32 203
1999 9 58 0 50 30 147
2000 9 1 0 50 30 90
2001 8 0 0 50 30 88
M. Schneider-Jacoby, T. Mikuska, D. Kova~i}, J. Mikuska, M. [etina & Z. Tadi}: Dispersal by accident – the
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia population in Croatia
continuation of Table 1 / nadaljevanje tabele 1