The names of the peaks above Ilirska Bistrica – such as Harrier Peak and Eagle's Peak – speak of the immense diversity of the local birdlife. Volovja Reber is unique even for Slovenia, with 97 different bird species observed and 75 species nesting in the region. The undisputed king of the mountain is the magnificent Alpine eagle, with the only breeding pair in the region nesting here! The Orphean warbler has a breeding range here, and larks, shrikes and thrushes abound.

When you lay down in the soft grass on Milanja and gaze into the sky, you will surely see a vulture or a raptor. The ridge is an important stopover for hundreds of migrating birds, like harriers, buzzards and eagles. The most magnificent of them all is the griffon vulture, a true ruler of the skies that often circles above Milanja, taking a rest stop on its long travels from the islands of the Adriatic to the high peaks of the Alps.