Slavonian grebe (Podiceps auritus) giving courtship display in full plumage
EU Directive
on the Conservation of Wild Birds
Adopted as long ago as 1979, Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the Conservation of Wild Birds – the Birds Directive – requires all EU member states to take the requisite measures to preserve, maintain or reestablish a sufficient diversity and area of habitats for all (approximately 240) bird species naturally occurring in the European territory of the member states.
Annex I of the Birds Directive lists species requiring special conservation measures to ensure their survival and reproduction in their distribution areas, for example because they are threatened by extinction or are rare because of their small population or limited geographical distribution. The special conservation measures explicitly include classifying the most suitable territories in terms of number and size as special protection areas.
Seven Annex I species are found in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea EEZ:
- Red-throated diver
- Black-throated diver
- Slavonian grebe
- Arctic tern
- Common tern
- Sandwich tern
- Little gull
Measures must also be taken for regularly occurring migratory species not listed in Annex I, by preserving and improving feeding sites comprising breeding, moulting and wintering areas and staging posts along migration routes. Member states must also avoid pollution or deterioration of habitats and prevent disturbance to the birds themselves. Migration corridors must be conserved as such.
In addition to the Annex I species, another 19 species – mostly sea ducks, gulls, guillemots and razorbills – are relevant for the designation of protected areas.
Key research findings:
- Vessel-based and aerial surveys over many years have recorded a total of 25 sea bird species for which protected areas have been designated in the German EEZ (see ‘Sea bird species’). The North Sea and Baltic Sea are home to two different selections of bird species numbering 18 species in each case.
- Many species (notably seagulls) are distributed over a wide range with low concentrations.
- Other bird species have clearly identifiable areas of concentration.
- In the Baltic Sea, common and velvet scoter and long-tailed duck in particular gather in their tens of thousands far offshore in the Pomeranian Bay and notably on the Odra Bank. Common scoter and long-tailed and eider duck are to be found in common resting areas in large parts of the western Baltic Sea/Belt Sea (see chart of long tailed-duck populations in the Baltic Sea).
- A priority in the North Sea is the conservation of red-throated and black-throated divers. Increased numbers of these two species can be found in winter and very early spring in the southern North Sea off the Lower Saxony coast and in late winter and late spring mostly seawards of the North Frisian Islands.
- Species that nest on Germany’s coasts are found at sea in diminishing numbers away from the coast or nearest nesting colony. Different breeding birds have different activity radii. This is especially visible with certain tern species, which can be found in large concentrations in the North Sea during the post-breeding period, and with the northern gannet, common guillemot and razorbill, which as far as German territory is concerned breed only on Heligoland.
Bird species taken into account when designating marine protected areas in the German EEZ:
North Sea |
Baltic Sea |
|
Red-throated diver
Black-throated diver Northern gannet Eider duck Common scoter Little gull Black-headed gull Common gull Lesser black-backed gull European Lesser black-backed gull Great black-backed gull Black-legged kittiwake Sandwich tern Common tern Arctic tern Common guillemot Razorbill |
Red-throated diver
Black-throated diver Great-crested grebe Red-necked grebe Slavonian grebe Great cormorant Eider duck Long-tailed duck Common scoter Velvet scoter Red-breasted merganser Little gull Common gull European Lesser black-backed gull Sandwich tern Common tern Arctic tern Black guillemot |
A selection of these North Sea and Baltic Sea bird species of relevance to Natura 2000 are presented in the Sea Bird Species section.
Northern gannet (Sula bassana)
Great-crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
Winter (December-March) distribution of red-necked grebes in the German Baltic Sea (North Sea 1990-2006, Baltic Sea 2000-2006)
Zoom
Winter (December-March) distribution of long-tailed duck in the German Baltic Sea (North Sea 1990-2006, Baltic Sea 2000-2006)
Zoom
Common scoter (Melanitta nigra)
Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)
Sea bird species
Some 25 species of sea bird were taken into account when designating special protection areas in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea EEZ. Seven of these are Birds Directive Annex I species. Others are rare or endangered or use German waters as resting areas in internationally significant concentrations. A small selection is presented here.
More on sea bird species ...
Little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus)
Sea birds: Research methods
As well as from the air, regular sea bird censuses are also carried out in vessel-based surveys. The area to be surveyed is divided into strip transects and species, numbers of individuals and observed behaviours are recorded for each transect. Extensive vessel-based surveys have been performed at different times of the year in the German Bight since 1980. Somewhat less extensive surveys have been done in the Baltic Sea since 1990.
More about research methods ...
Vessel-based survey