PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE SPECIES OF BIRDS FROM THE LEAOTA MOUNTAINS INCLUDED IN THE ANNEX I TO DIRECTIVE 2009/147/EC.

The current paper is the first published study on the avifauna from the Leaota Mountains, an area located in the north-east side of Argeș County (Romania). A part of the results of the researches performed here in 2016 referring to the species from the Annex I of the Birds Directive are showed. The obtained data were compared to similar data obtained in Europe and Romania, particularly following the distribution according to the type of habitat occupied, the age of the forest, in the case of the forestry species, and the sea level altitude at which the species were observed. It has been found that the most of them preferred the 91V0 habitat, mature forests and the altitude range of 1,000-1,499 m, resulting in the need for urgent protection of the natural forest ecosystems. Several considerations have been made about hydrographic zoning, too, highlighting the basins of the main rivers or streams where significant concentrations of protected species have been found, and also in terms of their density and population. Some information about the migration of diurnal rapacious birds through the area was provided as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]