Navigatie

Bird area

Rich bird life

From the start of the area’s development it has been known for its rich bird life. It provides a moulting area for greylag geese, a breeding area for spoonbills and home to an extensive cormorant colony, and is also home to the great and little egret and the Eurasian bittern. The area houses plentiful birds of prey and provides shelter to countless exceptional species of ducks, meadow birds and reed inhabitants, including the well-known bearded reedlings.

Breeding birds

Of course, the return of the white-tailed eagle to the Netherlands as a breeding bird in 2006 deserves a special mention. Another welcome occurrence was the fact that ravens also started breeding at the Oostvaardersplassen again in 2010.

Protected species

The memo which indicated the Oostvaardersplassen as a Natura2000 site, lists some 31 species of bird which have Europe-wide protection and can survive in the area:

  • Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
  • Little bittern (Ixobrychus minutes)
  • Little egret (Egretta garzetta) (º)
  • Great egret (Egretta alba)
  • Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
  • Wild swan (Cygnus cygnus)
  • Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
  • Smew (Mergus albellus)
  • White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
  • Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
  • Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus)
  • Spotted crake (Porzana porzana)
  • Pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
  • Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
  • Blue throat (Luscinia svecica)
  • Little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
  • Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
  • Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons)
  • Greylag goose (Anser anser)
  • Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
  • Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope)
  • Gadwall (Anas strepera)
  • Eurasian teal (Anas crecca)
  • Pintail (Anas acuta)
  • Northern shoveler (Anas clypeata)
  • Common pochard (Aythya ferina)
  • Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
  • Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa)
  • Savi’s warbler (Locustella luscinioides)
  • Sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
  • Great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

For further information on the Oostvaardersplassen as an area for birds please refer to the Vogelbescherming Nederland [The Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds]website.