Protected site · Natura 2000
East of the village, on the shore of Lake Varna, lies the largest reed bed on the lake. It has been a protected site since 1995 and is now also part of the European Natura 2000 network. Bitterns and herons breed here, thousands of waterbirds spend the winter, and under the water live such unexpected creatures as the seahorse and the European eel.
Living cross-section
Walk from the land through the reeds and shallows to the open water and beneath it. Tap an animal or plant to learn more. Use the season buttons to see who is here and when: migrants pass through in spring and autumn, and in winter the lake fills with visitors from the north.
Click or tap any species in the scene to open itThe scene is illustrative: sizes and distances are not to scale.
Atlas
75 species, selected from the official Natura 2000 standard data form, the report of the Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV), the Ministry of Environment’s conservation objectives and scientific studies of the lakes. Bird numbers are from the standard data form for the whole Varna–Beloslav Lake site (4,687 hectares, about 47 km²). A red label means the species is named specifically for Kazashko; a grey label marks a historical record for the lake complex as a whole.
Botaurus stellaris · Голям воден бик
The hardest bird to spot in the reeds. When alarmed it freezes with its bill pointing up and blends in with the stems. The male gives itself away with a deep, booming call that carries a long way.
Kazashko: Named among the birds that breed in the protected site.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · EcoVarna
Ixobrychus minutus · Малък воден бик
Europe’s smallest heron, about the size of a pigeon. It climbs the reeds by gripping several stems at once with its toes.
Kazashko: Named among the birds that breed in the protected site.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · EcoVarna · RIOSV Varna, 2021
Ardea cinerea · Сива чапла
It stands still in the shallows waiting for fish, then strikes like lightning. It flies with its neck folded into an S.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Ardea purpurea · Червена чапла
Darker and slimmer than the grey heron, with a rusty neck and breast. It prefers dense reeds to open water.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Ardea alba · Голяма бяла чапла
All white and nearly as large as the grey heron. It often stays by the lake through the winter.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Egretta garzetta · Малка бяла чапла
White, with a black bill, black legs and yellow feet, as if wearing yellow slippers. It stirs the bottom with them to flush out small fish.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) lists it among the species that can be seen in the site.
Nycticorax nycticorax · Нощна чапла
A stocky heron with a black crown and back and red eyes. It hunts at dusk and during the night.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Ciconia ciconia · Бял щъркел
The Via Pontica flyway passes over the lake, and the area is a bottleneck where the flocks bunch together. Up to 50,000 white storks pass overhead each autumn.
Kazashko: According to the Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV), the site is important for this species during migration.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Key Biodiversity Areas · RIOSV Varna, 2021
Platalea leucorodia · Лопатарка
Its bill ends in a broad “spoon”. It sifts the water with it, walking slowly and sweeping its head from side to side.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Pelecanus crispus · Къдроглав пеликан
One of the largest flying birds in the world, with a wingspan of over 3 m. Silvery white, with curly feathers on the nape.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Key Biodiversity Areas
Pelecanus onocrotalus · Розов пеликан
In the breeding season its white plumage takes on a pink tinge. It fishes in groups: the flock surrounds a shoal and drives it into the shallows.
Kazashko: According to the Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV), the site is important for this species during migration.
Microcarbo pygmaeus · Малък корморан
The area is of global importance for wintering pygmy cormorants, with up to 2,500 birds. They often perch on posts with wings spread out to dry.
Kazashko: According to the Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV), the site is important for this species during migration.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Key Biodiversity Areas · RIOSV Varna, 2021
Phalacrocorax carbo · Голям корморан
An excellent diver that chases fish underwater. Its feathers are not fully waterproof, so after fishing it dries them in the sun.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Cygnus olor · Ням лебед
Recognised by its orange bill with a black knob. It swims with a curved neck, often with its wings raised like sails.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Cygnus cygnus · Поен лебед
A winter visitor from the north, with a yellow-and-black bill and a straight neck. Its call is loud and trumpet-like.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Anser albifrons · Голяма белочела гъска
Recognised by the white patch at the base of its bill and the black bars on its belly. It winters in flocks along the Black Sea coast.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Branta ruficollis · Червеногуша гъска
One of the world’s most beautiful geese, in black, white and brick red. Almost its entire world population winters on the western shore of the Black Sea.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Anas platyrhynchos · Зеленоглава патица
The best-known wild duck. The male has a metallic green head and a white collar; the female is mottled brown. It breeds here.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) lists it among the species that can be seen in the site.
Aythya nyroca · Белоока потапница
A dark chestnut duck with white under the tail; the male has white eyes. It keeps to the edge of the reeds and is one of the species that make the lake a Key Biodiversity Area.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Key Biodiversity Areas
Oxyura leucocephala · Тръноопашата потапница
A rare duck with a white head, a swollen blue bill (in the male) and a stiff, upright tail. It is globally endangered.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Key Biodiversity Areas
Fulica atra · Лиска
Black, with a white bill and a white frontal shield. Thousands gather here in winter, and it also nests in the reeds along the shore.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) lists it among the species that can be seen in the site.
Gallinula chloropus · Зеленоножка
A red bill with a yellow tip and a white line along the flank. It nods its head with every stroke as it swims.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Rallus aquaticus · Воден дърдавец
Its narrow body lets it slip between the stems. It is heard far more often than seen, with a squealing call almost like a piglet’s.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Podiceps cristatus · Голям гмурец
Famous for its courtship dance: the pair rise up face to face on the water, shake their heads and offer each other weed.
Kazashko: A pair was recorded near Kazashko in May 2021.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Ministry of Environment, 2024
Tachybaptus ruficollis · Малък гмурец
A small, round bird that simply sinks out of sight when alarmed and pops up far away. It nests on floating piles of plants.
Kazashko: It lives in the marshes around Kazashko.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Ministry of Environment, 2024
Gavia stellata · Червеногуш гмуркач
A diver from the northern tundra. It swims low in the water with its bill tilted slightly upwards.
Kazashko: One was seen near Kazashko on 2 May during the field surveys of the area.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Ministry of Environment, 2024
Circus aeruginosus · Тръстиков блатар
It glides low over the reeds with its wings raised in a shallow V, searching for prey, and nests on the ground hidden among the reeds.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) lists it among the species that can be seen in the site.
Pandion haliaetus · Орел рибар
Our only bird of prey that feeds entirely on fish. It plunges into the water feet first and grabs fish with its talons.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Haliaeetus albicilla · Морски орел
Europe’s largest eagle, with a white tail and a massive yellow bill and a wingspan of over 2 m. It winters by large bodies of water.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Alcedo atthis · Земеродно рибарче
A blue-and-orange flash over the water. It watches from a twig or stem and dives head first for small fish.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Merops apiaster · Пчелояд
One of our most colourful birds. It nests in burrows dug into sandy banks and catches bees and other insects on the wing.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Himantopus himantopus · Кокилобегач
It has some of the longest legs for its size of any bird: pink “stilts” that let it wade deep into the shallows. It breeds in the area.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Recurvirostra avosetta · Саблеклюн
Its slender bill curves upwards and it feeds by sweeping it sideways through the water like a scythe. This is the species’ fourth-largest breeding site in Bulgaria.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) lists it among the species that can be seen in the site.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · Key Biodiversity Areas · RIOSV Varna, 2021
Sterna hirundo · Речна рибарка
A slender bird with a black cap, a red bill and a forked tail. It hovers in the air, then plunges into the water for fish.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form
Aythya ferina · Кафявоглава потапница
The male has a chestnut head, a black breast and a grey back. It dives for water plants and small animals on the bottom.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) lists it among the species that can be seen in the site.
Ardeola ralloides · Гривеста чапла
A small, buff-coloured heron that suddenly “turns white” when it takes off, because its wings are white. It breeds in the area.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · ExEA register
Plegadis falcinellus · Блестящ ибис
A dark bird with a long, down-curved bill whose feathers shine green and purple in the sun. It feeds in the shallows and on wet meadows.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · ExEA register
Chlidonias niger · Черна рибарка
A small tern with an almost black head and body in summer. It flies low and lightly over the water like a swallow, catching insects.
Source: Natura 2000 standard data form · ExEA register
Phragmites australis · Обикновена тръстика
The foundation of the whole site. Its roots hold the shore together, and its dense stems clean the water and shelter birds, fish and invertebrates. The reed beds at Kazashko are the largest on Lake Varna, the “lungs” of the lake.
Kazashko: It forms one of the characteristic plant communities of the site.
Source: BSPB · Key Biodiversity Areas · EcoVarna · RIOSV Varna, 2021 · Wetlands International, 2003
Typha angustifolia · Теснолистен папур
Recognised by its brown, velvety “cobs”, which are actually its flower spikes. It grows in shallow water alongside the reeds.
Kazashko: It forms one of the characteristic plant communities of the site.
Source: BSPB · Key Biodiversity Areas · RIOSV Varna, 2021 · Wetlands International, 2003
Schoenoplectus litoralis · Крайбрежен камъш
A tall club-rush with smooth stems and brown spikelets gathered in a cluster. It tolerates salt water, so it is common on the shores of brackish lakes.
Kazashko: It forms one of the characteristic plant communities of the site.
Source: RIOSV Varna, 2021 · BSPB · Key Biodiversity Areas
Juncus maritimus · Морска дзука
It forms stiff, spiky tussocks on the salt meadows around Lake Varna, and is typical of the “Mediterranean salt meadows” habitat (1410).
Source: bsnn.org · Wetlands International, 2003
Salicornia europaea · Солянка
A leafless, succulent plant made of jointed segments that turns red in autumn. It grows on very salty ground where few other plants survive.
Source: BSPB · bsnn.org · Key Biodiversity Areas · Wetlands International, 2003
Tripolium pannonicum · Голо димитровче
In late summer and autumn it bears purple flowers with yellow centres. It grows on the salty shores of the lakes.
Source: bsnn.org
Lysimachia vulgaris · Обикновено ленивче
A plant up to about a metre tall with bright yellow flowers in summer. It grows on wet meadows and along the edge of the reeds.
Kazashko: It grows in the site’s reed beds.
Source: RIOSV Varna, 2021
Stachys palustris · Блатен ранилист
Pinkish-purple flowers arranged in tiers along the stem. Its name comes from its old folk use for treating wounds.
Kazashko: It grows in the site’s reed beds.
Source: RIOSV Varna, 2021
Galium palustre · Блатно еньовче
A delicate plant with tiny white flowers and leaves arranged in whorls along the stem. It leans on the surrounding grasses in the marshes.
Kazashko: It grows in the site’s reed beds.
Source: RIOSV Varna, 2021
Inula spiraeifolia · Спиреолистен оман
A perennial with yellow flower heads. It is listed as endangered in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria (under the name elliptic-leaved elecampane).
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) names it as one of the species that add to the site’s value.
Source: RIOSV Varna, 2021 · Wikipedia
Triglochin maritima · Приморски триостреник
A narrow, grass-like plant with long spikes of tiny greenish flowers. It grows on salty, marshy shores and is included in the national monitoring of higher plants.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) names it as one of the species that add to the site’s value.
Source: RIOSV Varna, 2021 · ExEA
Sonchus palustris · Блатен кострец (спореж)
One of our tallest herbs, reaching 2–3 m, with yellow, dandelion-like flowers. It is included in the national monitoring of higher plants.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) names it as one of the species that add to the site’s value.
Source: RIOSV Varna, 2021 · ExEA
Apium nodiflorum · Възлоцветна целина
A relative of celery with white umbrella-shaped flower heads that grow from the joints of the stem, hence its name. It grows in shallow water and ditches.
Kazashko: The Varna environment inspectorate (RIOSV) names it as one of the species that add to the site’s value.
Source: RIOSV Varna, 2021 · ExEA
Typha latifolia · Широколистен папур
Larger than the lesser bulrush, with broad leaves and thick, dark brown “cobs”. It grows in the shallow water along the shores.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Schoenoplectus lacustris · Езерен камъш
Tall, smooth, almost leafless stems with brown spikelets near the tip. It forms dense bands in shallow water.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Limonium gmelinii · Гърлица
A plant of salty ground: a rosette of leathery leaves and branched sprays of tiny purple flowers in late summer.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Tamarix tetrandra · Четиритичинкова ракитовица
A shrub with thin twigs covered in tiny scale-like leaves, which is covered in pink flower clusters in spring. It tolerates salty soil.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Chelon auratus · Платерина
One of the most abundant species in the lake today. It is recognised by the golden spot on its gill cover.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Neogobius melanostomus · Стронгил (кръглоглаво попче)
The most abundant fish in the lake according to a 2026 study. It lives on the bottom and has a black spot on its dorsal fin; its pelvic fins are fused into a sucker.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Atherina boyeri · Атерина
A small, almost transparent silvery fish with a bright stripe along its side. It swims in shoals near the surface.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Platichthys flesus · Речна писия
A flatfish that lies on the bottom with both eyes on one side of its head. It tolerates everything from fresh to sea water.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Hippocampus guttulatus · Морско конче
A rare surprise: only one specimen was caught during the survey of the lake’s fish. In seahorses, it is the male that carries the young.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Syngnathus abaster · Морска игла
A relative of the seahorse, as thin as a twig. It hides among water plants and is widespread in the lake.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Anguilla anguilla · Европейска змиорка
Rare in the lake today and a species of conservation concern. It migrates thousands of kilometres to spawn in the Sargasso Sea.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Engraulis encrasicolus · Хамсия
A sea fish that enters the lake through the canal. It has been recorded there only recently.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Gasterosteus aculeatus · Трииглена бодливка
A small fish with three spines on its back. In spring the male turns red, builds a nest of plants and guards the eggs.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Chelon saliens · Илария
A mullet that leaps out of the water when alarmed, hence the Latin name saliens (“leaping”). It is widespread and abundant in the lake.
Source: Stefanov et al., 2026
Aurelia aurita · Ушата медуза
A transparent jellyfish with four horseshoe-shaped rings in its bell. It comes in from the sea with the saltier water.
Source: Stefanova, 2014
Myocastor coypus · Нутрия
A large semi-aquatic rodent brought over from South America, with orange front teeth and webbed hind feet. It swims low in the water and makes paths and platforms in the reeds.
Kazashko: It is listed among the mammals of the lake complex, and people in Kazashko still see it today.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Canis aureus · Златист чакал
A predator smaller than a wolf, active mainly at dusk and at night. Family groups call to each other with a distinctive howl. It lives in the thickets around wetlands.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Delphinus delphis · Обикновен делфин
A Black Sea dolphin listed among the mammals of the lake complex: it comes in from the sea along the shipping canal.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Emys orbicularis · Обикновена блатна костенурка
A dark shell with yellow speckles. It loves to bask on logs and banks, and slips straight into the water when disturbed.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Natrix tessellata · Сива водна змия
An excellent swimmer that feeds mostly on fish. It is harmless, although it is often mistaken for a viper.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Natrix natrix · Жълтоуха водна змия
Recognised by the two yellow patches behind its head. It is harmless, swims well and feeds mainly on frogs.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Pelophylax ridibundus · Голяма водна жаба
Our largest frog. In spring the males call loudly, inflating grey vocal sacs at the sides of the head. The source lists it under the old name Rana ridibunda.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Hyla arborea · Дървесница
A small, bright green frog with sticky pads on its toes for climbing stems. Its call is surprisingly loud for its size.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
Bufotes viridis · Зелена крастава жаба
A greyish toad with green blotches. It tolerates salty water better than most amphibians. The source lists it under the old name Bufo viridis.
Historical record: listed for the lake complex as a whole (Wetlands International, 2003), not from a recent survey of the site.
Source: Wetlands International, 2003
No species match this selection.
Why it matters
The reed beds trap sediment and absorb excess nutrients, cleaning the water of a lake under heavy pressure from the city and industry.
Fish spawn in the shallow water between the stems, and the young hide there from predators.
Bitterns, herons, grebes and coots build their nests in the reeds, away from people and predators.
The area lies on the Via Pontica flyway. Every year over 20,000 waterbirds of 64 species gather here, and up to 50,000 white storks pass overhead each autumn.
Protection rules
Rules under Order No. 49 of 15 February 1995 (State Gazette No. 21/1995), as listed in the Executive Environment Agency register. Across the whole Natura 2000 site, mowing reeds between 1 March and 15 August and burning reed beds or shore vegetation are also banned. Enforcement is by the Varna Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIOSV).
Next to Kazashko lies the Mochurishteto Protected Site (21.8 hectares, about 54 acres). It was declared in 2004 as Bulgaria’s first buffer zone around a wetland, to protect Kazashko, and became a protected site in 2007.
Video
The illustrations are original and stylised: they show each species’ key features but are not scientific drawings. The list is not complete: 202 bird species have been recorded in the Natura 2000 site and 142 in the protected site itself. RIOSV also lists two more plants for Kazashko that we do not show separately because we could not confirm their scientific names. The mammals, reptiles and amphibians come from the 2003 Wetlands International list for the whole lake complex and are not a recent count. If you have photos or sightings from Kazashko, write to us at info@kazashko.com.
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