Žabakor

Žabakor is a nature reserve located in the municipality of Březina, in the Mladá Boleslav district of the Central Bohemian Region. It forms part of the Český ráj (Bohemian Paradise) protected landscape area and ranks among the most ecologically valuable wetland sites in the region.

What does the reserve consist of?

At the heart of the protected area lies the Žabakor pond, fed by the Žehrovka stream. Covering roughly 45 hectares, it is the largest pond within the entire Český ráj protected landscape area. The reserve extends well beyond the pond itself, however — its total area reaches 80.38 hectares, including the surrounding wetlands and reed beds that fringe the water.

A separate section of the reserve contains a smaller pond called Oběšenec. Together with the adjoining wetlands, both ponds form a single connected ecosystem that has been protected as one reserve since 1998.

How did the Žabakor pond come to exist?

The pond was most likely established in the 16th century and has been used primarily for fish farming ever since — a purpose it still serves today. This centuries-long tradition of pond-based aquaculture makes Žabakor not only a valuable natural habitat but also a living record of the long history of fishpond management in the Bohemian Paradise region.

Why is Žabakor important for birds?

The pond and its surroundings have been monitored by ornithologists for more than a century, making it one of the best-documented bird sites in the region. Over the years, observers have recorded a total of 183 bird species here, a significant share of which are known to breed on site.

Notable species recorded at Žabakor include the penduline tit (Remiz pendulinus), the Savi's warbler (Locustella luscinioides), the golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus), the spotted crake (Porzana porzana), and the marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus). Such a rich and varied birdlife is closely tied to the mosaic of habitats found here — open water, dense reed beds, and the wet meadows surrounding both ponds.

What kind of landscape does the reserve protect?

Žabakor is above all a botanically and ornithologically significant site of regional importance. The reed and marginal aquatic vegetation that has developed along the shores of both ponds creates ideal conditions for species that depend on calm, shallow, vegetation-rich waters. It is precisely this combination — centuries of steady fish farming alongside a largely natural shoreline — that has allowed such rich biodiversity to persist here.

The reserve sits at the heart of the Bohemian Paradise, a region best known for its sandstone rock cities and dramatic rock formations. Žabakor, however, reveals a different side of the area: broad, tranquil wetland scenery that plays a vital role for both migratory and breeding birds.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Žabakor located? The reserve lies within the cadastral territories of the villages of Březina and Žďár, in the Mladá Boleslav district, as part of the Bohemian Paradise protected landscape area.

How large is the Žabakor pond? The pond itself covers about 45 hectares, making it the largest pond in the entire Bohemian Paradise. The full reserve, including the wetlands and the neighboring Oběšenec pond, spans 80.38 hectares.

Since when has the area been protected? Žabakor has held nature reserve status since 1998.

What makes Žabakor especially valuable? Above all, its exceptional birdlife — 183 bird species recorded over more than a hundred years of observation — together with its rich reed-bed and aquatic vegetation.