EN
The study bases on data from a survey of breeding avifauna made in 1988-1994 in the valley of the Upper Narew in the north-east of Poland. Narew valley forms a belt several hundred to 5 km wide and over 147 km long roughly 479 square km in area. The valley of the Upper Narew harbours 90 species of endangered birds, 3 of them threatened worldwide (corn crake (Crex crex), aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) and white-tailed eagle (Haliatus albicilla)), 46 endangered on a European, 33 on a national and 8 on a regional scale. Disregarding the last group this adds up to 82 species, i.e., some 60% of endangered bird species in Poland. This high number of endangered species many of which occur in sizable populations designates the valley of the Upper Narew as a major European bird refuge. The area fulfils several criteria set up by ‘‘Bird Life International” necessary for qualifying to the European register of key bird refuges. Endangered bird species in the valley of the Upper Narew belong to 15 orders; the largest percentage are Ciconiformes, Anseriformes, Accipitriformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes and Passeriformes. Over a half (52, 58% of all endangered birds) are aquatic birds which also form the largest populations in comparison to other ecological groups. Cartograms were elaborated showing the differentiation of distinct parts of the valley from the point of view of presence of nesting grounds of endangered bird species (fig. 1 and 2). On their basis were distinguished local bird refuges. Avifaunistic values of the eight outstanding sites varied in terms of their surface area and importance for nature conservation were described. Recommendations for protection were drawn up individually for each of these sites suggesting the most suitable forms of protection, suggesting i.a., - enactment of the Narew River National Park, - in view of its value for birdlife setting up the Landscape Park of the Upper Narew Valley, - including bird refuges found around the Narew-Biebrza in the Biebrza National Park, - draft proposals for legal protection of several bird refuges as nature reserves or ecologically managed areas.