GBG in Germany

Germany

Current Population:

Approximately 100 adult birds (2005, 2006) plus young birds released in summer.

They occur in three areas 60 km to the west of Berlin. These are Havellandisches Luch (54 adults), Belziger Landschaftwiesen (36) and Fiener Bruch (10).

Due to intensification of agriculture, the population has suffered a steep decline over the last 65 years: in 1939 there were 4,000 birds, in 1960 1,200, in 1990 200 and in 1995 only 40.

Status:

Small annual increases (< 10 per year) depending mainly on juvenile survival.

In summer 2005, 50 young birds were released and 13 hatched in the wild, but a year later, only six of these birds (10 %) had survived.

The juvenile losses were due mainly to predation by foxes, White-tailed Eagle and Raven.

Habitats Used:

The areas around Berlin are surprisingly rural, consisting of arable farmland, cattle pastures, meadows, forests and lakes with scattered villages. The Great Bustards nest in cereals, feed in low-lying, valley meadows in summer and on oilseed rape crops on nearby higher ground in winter.

These habitats are strikingly different from the extensive, tree-less, high plains of Spain and Russia. The landscape is more similar to habitats in Hungary.

Conservation:

While the population is low, considerable human input is required to help protect young birds, as currently in the UK Project. The main objective in Germany is to provide secure pens for females to nest and raise young and into which young from incubators and hand rearing can be released at seven to eight weeks of age.

There are three new pens, one at each site, the pen area is around 16 ha (40 acres).

Eggs are collected from first clutch nests laid outside the pen in surrounding fields.

Young birds are fed by hand and moved to increasingly larger pens. On fledging they should eventually fly out to join adult groups.

The sites suffer heavy fox and eagle predation. There is also significant disturbance from farming and public access.
website: www.grosstrappe.de

Visiting:

Flights to Berlin and car hire.

At Havellandisches Luch there is a visitor centre at Buckow with a nearby public hide and paths. There are also cycle tracks and hides at Fiener Bruch.

Telephone: (00 49) 033878 60257.

e-mail: bustard@t-online