The lake is home to over 230 species of
vascular plants, of which 7 are endangered in Bulgaria. It is also inhabited by the
Etruscan pygmy shrew, the smallest mammal by mass. Lake Atanasovsko is one of the key
ornithological locations in the country, with 314 species of birds being present, 70% of all bird species in Bulgaria. Twelve of them are globally endangered, including the
pygmy cormorant, the
red-breasted goose, the
ferruginous duck, the
Dalmatian pelican and the
corn crake. Seventeen local species of birds in danger of extinction in Bulgaria also live in the lake, including the
common tern and
Audouin's gull. The high number of birds is due to the lake's location on the important
Via Pontica bird migration route. The bird population is highest during the autumn migration. As of August, 2019, Lake Atanasovsko is home to the largest colony of
flamingos in Bulgaria, numbering 159 individuals, having grown from 126 in autumn, 2018. So far, the birds are not nesting or breeding at the site, but this is expected to occur. ==References==