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BIRDS’ DWELLING IN THE HEART OF BELGRADE Banjica Forest is not the oldest, largest or most beautiful forest in Belgrade, but it is unique. It has been proclaimed an ornithological natural monument because of the large numbers of birds that dwell in its trees. And while some dwell there, others occasionally visit, and the more brazen even trespass.
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bserved from the height of a tall building in Vozdovac or Banjica, from a plane or even from a car or a bus while driving from Autokomanda past the Red Star Football Club Stadium to Trosarina, you can see a great number of trees that change colour – from countless nuances of green to many shades of yellow, from spring to autumn. In winter the forest wears its clean white overcoat. Those who walk along the wood don’t notice anything in particular, and even those who walk directly through it – on their way to the market in Banjica or while jogging or walking under the cover of its tree tops – remain unaware of its
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SPRING 2007 BelGuest
beauty and abundance. A long time ago, on this very site, a forest was cleared away to make room for vegetable fields. Until World War II, the forest was home to a military rifle range, while a splendid brook, known as the Banjica Brook. which had its headwaters in the Kraljica Marija Suburb, flowed through the forest and went underground behind the main Auto Komanda. After the war, thanks to volunteers from 1948 to 1950, the whole site was re-forested. Most trees that were planted were soft and deciduous, and were considered to be of poor quality. But those trees had a lot of shoots (sprouts) and they
developed a ground layer of bush and ground flora, which were a natural dwelling for many birds. The forest was proclaimed a protected area in 1993, a natural ornithological reserve were some 68 bird species of birds dwell.
NATURAL MONUMENT Geographically observed, the Banjicka Suma is actually a plateau, part of the Sumadija Rock that stretches in a north-south direction. It is located on the territory of the Vozdovac Municipality and spreads along Liberation Boulevard, 23,000 meters in length, along Crnotravska and Veljka Lukica