IBA Slovenský kras
Slovenský kras – Slovak Karst
Districts: Košice okolie, Revúca, Rožňava
Altitude: 185 m – 1030 m
Area: 406,16 km2
Description
Slovenský kras is the largest karstic area in the Central Europe. Karstic plateaus are divided by valleys and canyons. Various forest ecosystems are composed of xerothermic oak woods, hornbeam oak woods, beech woods, mixed beech and dish forests, rocky communities with maples, ashes and pines. Forest steppe communities and grike fields can be found on the plateaus. Rangy and various relief is complemented with fields in the valleys, wet meadows, fishponds and water courses as well.
Area protection
IBA Slovenský kras was designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) on April 16, 2010.
Other protected areas in the region of IBA Slovenský kras: Slovenský kras (Slovak Karst) National Park
Importance
Slovenský kras is important for nesting of several bird species that are bound to forests, rocky habitats and mosaic landscape with grasslands.
Qualifying species
| Species | Breeding population | Criterion | |
| Pop.min. | Pop.max. | ||
| Bittern – Botaurus stellaris | 1 | 3 | C6 |
| Short-toed Eagle – Circaetus gallicus | 1 | 3 | C6 |
| European Nightjar – Caprimulgus europaeus | 110 | 170 | C6 |
| Middle Spotted Woodpecker – Dendrocopos medius | 210 | 290 | C6 |
| Woodlark – Lullula arborea | 50 | 90 | C6 |
| Barred Warbler – Sylvia nisoria | 500 | 700 | C6 |
Other important species
Black Stork (Ciconia nigra), Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina), Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix), Scops Owl (Otus scops), Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo), Ural Owl (Strix uralensis), Wryneck (Jynx torquilla), Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus), Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos), Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva), Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis), Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)