Beba Veche Ornithological Reserve
The Beba Veche Ornithological Reserve is a nationally protected area classified under IUCN Category IV. It is situated in Timiș County, within the administrative boundaries of Beba Veche commune.
Location
It is situated in the far northwestern part of Timiș County and spans an area of near the village of Pordeanu, close to the borders with Hungary and Serbia.
Description
The Beba Veche Ornithological Reserve was declared a protected area of national importance by Law No. 5 of March 6, 2000. The reserve is home to the great bustard, a rare steppe bird species that has begun to reestablish itself in the area after being considered extinct in Romania since the 1970s. Historically, the species was widespread across the Bărăgan Plain, northern Moldavia, the Transylvanian Plateau, and the Western Plain, with ornithologists estimating a national population of approximately 5,000 individuals a century ago. In recent years, a small number of individuals have started to recolonize western Romania, likely migrating from neighboring populations in Hungary and Serbia, although their presence remains limited and fragmented.