Slano Kopovo. 22/07/04; Vojvodina; 976 ha; 45°38'N 020°13'E. Special Nature Reserve; IBA. The site, left over from the draining of an ancient meander of the Tisza River, is a rare and representative example of salt habitats but presents also, on its eastern side, a smaller freshwater depression. It is one of Serbia's most important bird habitats and regularly supports more than 20,000 waterbirds, breeding and migrating. It is especially suitable for cranes, ducks, geese and shorebirds and supports a significant number of vulnerable, threatened and critically endangered species such as Numenius tenuirostris, Anser erythropus, Branta ruficollis, Oxyura leucocephala, Aquila heliaca, Falco naumanni, Otis tarda, the rodent Spermophilus citellus, and plant communities such as the rare Thero-Salicornietea specific to salty grounds. The area is threatened by a decrease in water level, as the drying up of the depressions during summer and autumn is becoming more frequent, caused chiefly by the development of a channel web and dam construction on the Tisza which has lowered the level of the underground waters. Other negative factors are plowing of pastures, use of chemicals and artificial fertilizers for agriculture. Human activities include regulated hunting, livestock husbandry, agriculture, and the use of mud for curing ailments. There is a high potential of scientific research and conservation education. Church remnants from the 9th-11th centuries exist on site. Conservation priorities concern the sanitation and improvement of the water regime. Ramsar Site no. 1392. Most recent RIS information: 2003.