Kaliakra is one of the most important migration bottlenecks on the western Black Sea coast and is designated an Important Bird Area and a Natura 2000 site. The Via Pontica flyway runs along this stretch of coast, and in spring and autumn the cape funnels storks, raptors, and pelicans in numbers that can fill the sky.
September and early October are peak for the autumn migration; April and early May for the spring. The steppe behind the cliffs supports breeding stone-curlews, calandra larks, and pied wheatears, and shag colonies cling to the cliff faces year-round. Bring binoculars and check the wind: birds use the headland when the wind is from the north or northeast.