The multi-monitoring and study of birds with the continuous comparison of data, gave excellent indicators of the changes and the trends in the nature.

Since 2005, – Macedonia is a candidate country for membership in the EU, and therefore it is obliged to align its legislation with the EU legislation regarding protection of the nature which includes the Directive for protection of wild birds and the Habitats Directive. The birds are the most important pillar of the EU nature legislation. 550 species of birds are naturally found in Europe. The total number of bird species in the Republic of Macedonia is 318. The number of bird species in Demir Kapija is 148 which is 46.5 % of the total number of species in Macedonia. This data comes from a study (in preparation) entitled “The birds in significant area for the birds (SAB) in Macedonia – Demir Kapiska gorge – composition, status and valuation”

According to – this study, from the 148 bird species in Demir Kapija: 60 species live continuously in this SAB, 45 species are summer visitors, 15 species spent the winters here, 15 species are migratory and 9 species are occasionally observed. According to this study and according to a publication from (2010) titled: – “Important Bird Areas in Macedonia: sites of global and European importance” prepared by MED (which is the national representative of Bird Life Internation), the most important species of birds in the SAB Demir Kapija are:

1. White stork – ciconia ciconia
2. Black stork -ciconia nigra
3. European honey buzzard – pernis apivorus
4. Black kite – milvus migrans
5. Egyptian vultute – neophron percnopterus
6. Griffon vulture – gyps fulvus
7. Short toed snake eagle – circaetus gallicus
8. Levant sparrowhawk – accipiter brevipes
9. long – legged buzzard – buteo rufinus
10. Golden eagle – aquila chrysaetos
11. Booted eagle – aquila pennata
12. Lanner falcon – falco biarmikus
13. Peregrine falcon – falco peregrinus
14. Rock partridge – alectoris graeca
15. Eurasian eagle owl – bubo bubo
16. Eurasian nightjar – caprimulgus europaeus
17. Common kingfisher – alcedo atthis
18. Black woodpecker –dryokopus martius
19. Syrian woodpecker – dendrocopos syriacus
20. Middle spotted woodpecker –dendrocopos medius
21. Wood lark – lullula arborea
22. Red-backet shrike – lanius collurio
23. Lesser grey shrike – lanius minor
24. Masket shrike – lanius nubicus
25. Corn bunting – miliaria calandra
26. Black-eared wheatear – Oenanthe hispanica
27. Subalpine warbler – silvia cantillans
28. Western rock nuthatch – sitta neumayer
29. Black headed bunting – emberiza melanocephala