On Thursday 5 August 2021, Miroslav Repar, a visitor to Škocjanski zatok, noticed and photographed an unusual bird feeding in the low grass in front of observatory no. 5. The photos soon circled the web and the bird turned out to be an extremely rare Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus from the Far East.

The observation represents the first record of this species for Slovenia and only the fifth record for the Western Palearctic region! The Grey-headed Lapwing breeds in Northeastern China and Japan, and winters in mainland Southeast Asia. These days, the exceptional rarity at Škocjanski zatok has attracted many curious ornithologists from all over Slovenia, as well as birders from abroad (Austria, Italy, Hungary, Romania).

On Saturday August 7, the Grey-headed Lapwing was still present at the reserve, where it was feeding in the wet meadow in front of observatory no. 5.