With seasonally flooded land, alluvial forest, seasonal marshes, pools and permanent streams, karst fields provide important stop-over for migrating birds using the Adriatic Flyway.

In Southeastern Europe, large agricultural basins surrounded by dry mountains fill up at regular intervals with water and become huge water lands. There are around 140 such karst fields in the Dinaric region, stretching from Slovenia to Albania.

The waterfowl of Central, North and Eastern Europe concentrate especially on one of the migration routes - Adriatic Flyway which runs right across the Balkans, the Adriatic and Southern Italy to reach North Africa. Until recently little was known about this route but today we know that in fact millions of birds fly twice yearly along this migration route between their breeding grounds and their wintering places. The Mediterranean and the Dinaric Alps represent major hurdles they have to overcome on their way. They can only survive if there are safe, intact resting places on their route - karst fields.

Nevesinjsko Polje karst field and river Zalomka.

Popovo Polje karst field.

Popovo Polje karst field.

Mostarsko Blato karst field.

Popovo Polje karst field.