Sand Martins Return to Nest Again

The steep banks of the restored Foki side arm of the Danube now provide ideal nesting grounds for kingfishers, bee-eaters, and sand martins. All three species excavate burrows in the banks to lay their eggs. Although sand martins used to nest in this side arm, they are now a rare sight along the Slovak section of the Danube. Unlike the more familiar barn swallow or house martin, the sand martin is lesser-known because it rarely lives near humans or nests on buildings.

Over the past 11 months, BROZ and partner organizations have worked to restore the Foki side arm by reversing some of the long-standing human interventions that had disconnected it from the broader Danube side arm system.

Sobeková says that the project is already showing tangible results. While the breeding season came too late this year for local bird species to nest here, they have returned to hunt along the water’s edge. Fish have also found their way back to the side arm.

Conservationists note that reconnecting the side arm brings a host of ecological benefits.

"The spawning season is already over, but in every restored arm, fish have begun reproducing again in preparation for the next season," Sobeková says.