Hambar Dere protected site

The Hambar Dere protected site has an area of 101.10 ha. It was established with Order No:RD-427 of 29.10.1999 by the Ministry of the Environment and Water, on the suggestion of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, with the aim of preserving forest formation along the river banks, xerophyte oak woods as well as rare and endangered plant and animal species.

The Hambar Dere protected site is in the Ivaylovgrad Municipality and contains part of the land of the villages of Kazak and Byal Gradets. Along the banks of the Hambar Dere River natural communities of willows (Salix Alba, Salix purpurea) and alder (Alnus glutinosa) are still intact, also containing several species of clambering plants – lianas. On slopes, old oak woods are to be found, amid which 100-200 years old specimens have survived. 10 fish species are to be found in river, four of which are Balkans endemites. The protected site is inhabited by 9 amphibian species, 11 reptile species, 43 bird species, and five bat species. Of the species included in the World Red List, here we find two species of tortoise (Testido graeca and Testudo hermanni), the otter (Lutra lutra), and the bats: the smaller horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) and the Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus Euryale). Of the birds, here we can see the small eagle, the big hawk, the green woodpecker, and the red-backed shrike.