Rhineland-Palatinate: Science records endangered bird species with a new concept!

Rhineland-Palatinate: Science records endangered bird species with a new concept!

In Rhineland-Palatinate, bird populations are the focus of a new scientific initiative. So far, the surveys have largely been based on estimates, but the State Bird Observatory has now developed a detailed concept to record the bird populations more precisely. According to the SWR reports on the worrying situation of many bird species that are threatened with extinction, including previously common species such as the starling. The hoopoe, which was still widespread in the 1950s, can now only be found in small occurrences in Rheinhessen and the Vorderpfalz.

Katrin Eder, the Minister for Climate Protection in Rhineland-Palatinate, emphasizes the crucial role of breeding birds as indicators of the state of the ecosystem. Bird populations are important not only for biological balance, but also for monitoring insect and plant populations. Scientific methods are used to study the populations and their habitats more intensively. The first counts begin in the Rußheimer Althrein bird sanctuary and in nine other protected areas.

Bird monitoring as a successful project

Bird monitoring has been carried out for over five years under the leadership of the Society for Nature Conservation and Ornithology Rhineland-Palatinate. V. (GNOR) and receives support from Aktion Grün. Over 300 volunteers are actively involved in this project to record the local birdlife and promote species with declining populations, such as the lapwing. Eder thanked the volunteers and the GNOR for their valuable commitment.

The adapted monitoring approach includes three programs: monitoring common breeding birds (MhB), monitoring rare breeding birds (MsB) and monitoring resting waterbirds (MrW). These programs are known throughout Germany and are run by the Umbrella Association of German Avifaunists. V. (DDA) coordinated. The current “Bird Monitoring Report 2023” shows that the MhB has been carried out for 20 years and that 150 test areas have been set up in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Information and outlook

The breeding season mapping for the common breeding birds takes place from March to June, with all bird species on the sample areas recorded four times. The number of sample areas processed has increased over the last five years. For rare species with special lifestyles, selective recording series are set up, such as for gray herons and rooks. The monitoring of resting waterbirds, on the other hand, takes place in monthly counts from September to April in order to identify water bodies worthy of protection.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection hopes that the data obtained will not only be important for the protection of bird species, but can also provide valuable information for future construction projects. From 2027, all 57 bird sanctuaries in Rhineland-Palatinate are to be included in the counts in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the bird populations. The concept for bird monitoring was developed about 2.5 years ago at the State Office for the Environment, whereby Rhineland-Palatinate has to report data on bird populations to the Federal Office for Nature Conservation every six years.

For further information, the 2023 bird monitoring report is available and those interested can go to vogelmonitoring@gnor.de inform about participation in the recording programs. The GNOR also offers further details on this topic on its website.

The results and methods of the project are of great importance for a comprehensive overview of the current situation of bird populations in Rhineland-Palatinate. [swr.de reports that ...](https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/voegel-in-rlp-sollen-wissen-erfasst- Werden-100.html) and mkuem.rlp.de emphasizes that ….