Nemunas Delta
Encyclopedia
Nemunas Delta is the Lithuanian
name for the Neman River
Delta, in Lithuania
.
When it reaches the Baltic Sea
, the Neman splits into a maze of river branches and canals, forming polder
s and wetlands that make it a very attractive destination for eco-tourism. The four main distributaries
are Atmata, Pakalnė, Skirvytė and Gilija. In the centre of the delta lies Lithuania
's largest island, Rusnė
(5 km²), and its eponymous village. Although it is the largest human settlement in the delta, its population is only about 2,500.
. To safeguard the delta's wildlife and facilitate research, the Nemunas Delta Regional Park was created in 1992. It covers 239.5 km² and consists of 14 reserves
and one water reservoir. About 20% of the area is covered by water. Since 1999, the Lithuanian Society of Ornithologists and the Nemunas Delta Regional Park Administration have been organizing bird counts
every October. The rally is an open, international, and non-professional attempt to tally as many bird species as possible. Bird counts assist in identifying environmental threats to the well-being of birds or, conversely, in assessing the outcomes of environmental management initiatives intended to ensure the survival of at-risk species or encourage the breeding of species for aesthetic or ecological reasons. The delta undergoes annual flooding, but the greatest threats to its integrity are posed by pollution, agriculture, the fishing industry, and tourism.
The delta hosts many rare varieties of birds during the spring breeding season (the total reported number of species is about 200; about 40 species are listed in the Lithuanian Red Book of Endangered Species). It is also the most important layover for migrating birds in Lithuania. Millions of birds and hundreds of species travel through this area each year, including some internationally endangered species: the white-tailed eagle
, the barnacle goose
, crane
s, dunlin
s and aquatic warbler
s. The principal research facilities are located in Ventė Cape . One of the first bird ringing
stations in Europe
was opened there in 1929 by a Lithuanian zoologist, Tadas Ivanauskas
. Birds ringed at the Cape have been found migrating to Iran
, Egypt
and even to the Republic of South Africa.
Mammals found in the delta include fox
, beaver
, elk
, wild boar
and otter
.
Another of the delta's special features is Lake Krokų Lanka
(near where the Nemunas debouches), which formed when the river's outwash separated it from the Curonian Lagoon
. It is the largest lake in the delta region, covering 7.93 km², and the only lake of marine origin in Lithuania.
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
name for the Neman River
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
Delta, in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
When it reaches the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, the Neman splits into a maze of river branches and canals, forming polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
s and wetlands that make it a very attractive destination for eco-tourism. The four main distributaries
Distributary
A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. They are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary is a tributary...
are Atmata, Pakalnė, Skirvytė and Gilija. In the centre of the delta lies Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
's largest island, Rusnė
Rusne
Rusnė is a town in Šilutė district, Lithuania, located on the Rusnė Island in the Nemunas Delta, 9 km south-west from Šilutė.Rusnė was first mentioned in historical sources in 14th century. In 1419 the first church was built in Rusnė, and in 1553 a Lithuanian parish school was established...
(5 km²), and its eponymous village. Although it is the largest human settlement in the delta, its population is only about 2,500.
Delta
The Nemunas Delta wetlands are considered globally significant and are protected under the Ramsar ConventionRamsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
. To safeguard the delta's wildlife and facilitate research, the Nemunas Delta Regional Park was created in 1992. It covers 239.5 km² and consists of 14 reserves
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
and one water reservoir. About 20% of the area is covered by water. Since 1999, the Lithuanian Society of Ornithologists and the Nemunas Delta Regional Park Administration have been organizing bird counts
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
every October. The rally is an open, international, and non-professional attempt to tally as many bird species as possible. Bird counts assist in identifying environmental threats to the well-being of birds or, conversely, in assessing the outcomes of environmental management initiatives intended to ensure the survival of at-risk species or encourage the breeding of species for aesthetic or ecological reasons. The delta undergoes annual flooding, but the greatest threats to its integrity are posed by pollution, agriculture, the fishing industry, and tourism.
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
, the barnacle goose
Barnacle Goose
The Barnacle Goose belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species...
, crane
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
s, dunlin
Dunlin
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
s and aquatic warbler
Aquatic Warbler
The Aquatic Warbler, Acrocephalus paludicola, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in temperate eastern Europe and western Asia, with an estimated population of 15,000 pairs. It is migratory, wintering in west Africa...
s. The principal research facilities are located in Ventė Cape . One of the first bird ringing
Bird ringing
Bird ringing or bird banding is a technique used in the study of wild birds, by attaching a small, individually numbered, metal or plastic tag to their legs or wings, so that various aspects of the bird's life can be studied by the ability to re-find the same individual later...
stations in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
was opened there in 1929 by a Lithuanian zoologist, Tadas Ivanauskas
Tadas Ivanauskas
Tadas Ivanauskas was a prominent Lithuanian zoologist and biologist, and one of the founders of Vytautas Magnus University.- Biography :...
. Birds ringed at the Cape have been found migrating to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and even to the Republic of South Africa.
Mammals found in the delta include fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, wild boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
and otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
.
Another of the delta's special features is Lake Krokų Lanka
Kroku Lanka
Krokų Lanka is the only lake of marine origin in Lithuania and the largest lake in the Šilutė district municipality. It is located in the Nemunas Delta Regional Park on the Baltic Sea shore near Nemunas Delta and Ventė Cape. It covers a territory of 788 ha...
(near where the Nemunas debouches), which formed when the river's outwash separated it from the Curonian Lagoon
Curonian Lagoon
The Curonian Lagoon is separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit. Its surface area is . The Neman River supplies about 90% of its inflows; its watershed consists of about 100,450 square kilometers in Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Oblast.-Human history:In the 13th century, the area around...
. It is the largest lake in the delta region, covering 7.93 km², and the only lake of marine origin in Lithuania.
Maps
- Map of Nemunas Delta Regional Park
- Map of Nemunas Delta is at coordinates 55°18′00"N 21°00′00"E
