The sand martin (Riparia riparia) is one of the most endangered bird species in Croatia, mainly due to habitat loss, which is caused by the building of embankments and the construction of hydropower plants.

Sand martins are so named because they nest in sandy river banks or sandy cliffs. The males dig burrows, which are then finalised by the females and turned into nest chambers.

About 50% of the Croatian sand martin population still exists along the Drava, however, the number of breeding pairs has decreased by 90% in the past 30 years, which means that urgent action for their conservation and habitats is needed.

As a first step in that direction, WWF and partner NGOs got their hands dirty and cleared steep banks in the “Amazon of Europe” along the Croatian Drava, to prepare the habitat and nesting sites for the return of the sand martin, the smallest bird of the swallow family. Thirty people from different NGOs, as well as the local community joined the mission and worked on two locations near Donja Dubrava. Altogether, around 200 meters of steep banks were cleared and prepared and the organisers were more than satisfied with the turnout of people and their eagerness to help – the youngest participant who joined in to help the little birds was only 5 years old!

There is also a video from last weekend’s work, which can be viewed here.

“Sand martins and other types of Drava birds are under great pressure because of habitat destruction. Primary drivers are river embankments, as well as dikes and the construction of hydropower plants that alter the natural dynamics of the river and prevent the creation of natural steep banks, the main habitat of these extraordinary birds. Therefore, WWF together with a number of organizations proclaimed the sand martin the Croatian bird of the year 2016 to raise awareness about the sand martins’s protection,” said Branka Španiček, Project Manager at WWF Adria.

The clearing action was only the first of many different actions to come in the course of the “Sand Martin – Bird of the Year 2016” Campaign. In the following months, WWF and partners will take school pupils on boat trips along the Drava to inspect the results of the steep bank clearing and to hopefully see a large colony of sand martins!