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Family ARDEIDAE, bitterns, herons and egrets

Bittern, Botaurus stellaris

wpe5.jpg (28759 bytes) This solitary bird inhabits the permanent marshes of Eurasia, between 30°N and 60°N, and from the Iberian Peninsula to China. It is also known from northern and southern Africa. European birds are partly sedentary, partly migratory, and some of them reach equatorial regions. The populations of the European Union are strongly fragmented, and declining everywhere (except in Denmark). They are totalling not more than 970-1400 breeding pairs, while the total European population is estimated at 19000-43000 pairs. The main reason for this decline is the reclamation of wetlands, especially the disappearance of large Phragmites beds, the mechanical harvesting of reeds, the pollution and disturbance of the breeding areas by human recreation activities (Tucker & Heath). However, breeding populations also fluctuate very strongly according to the severity of climatic conditions in winter (EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

East Anglia

14

15

S

East Midlands (GB)

2

S

North (GB)

1

S

North West (GB)

1

3

S

South East (GB)

1

S

South West (GB)

0

1

C

Danmark

55

75

C

Nederland

150

275

C

Région Wallonne

1

5

C

Vlaams Gewest

1

8

C

Baden-Württemberg

0

3

C

Bayern

5

S

Brandenburg

300

C

Hamburg

4

S

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

300

C

Niedersachsen

10

C

Nordrhein-Westfalen

4

S

Sachsen

0

5

C

Sachsen-Anhalt

0

5

C

Schleswig-Holstein

70

S

Alsace

5

10

Aquitaine

0

5

C

Auvergne

5

10

C

Basse-Normandie

1

C

Bourgogne

1

5

C

Bretagne

5

10

 C

Centre

30

50

C

Champagne-Ardennes

10

15

C

Haute-Normandie

3

4

C

Ile de France

5

10

 C

Languedoc-Roussillon

60

90

C

Limousin

5

10

C

Lorraine

10

20

C

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

5

10

C

Pays de la Loire

20

50

C

Picardie

10

25

C

Poitou-Charente

10

20

C

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

75

100

C

Rhône-Alpes

1

10

C

Emilia Romagna

1

10

C

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

3

6

C

Lazio

1

5

C

Lombardia

1

2

C

Puglia

1

5

C

Sicilia

10

C

Toscana

3

6

C

Veneto

3

6

C

Andalucia

1

10

C

Baleares

0

5

C

Cataluña

6

10

C

Comunidad Valenciana

1

5

 C

Navarra

1

5

 C

Centro

0

1

N

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Little Bittern, Ixobrychus minutus

wpeB.jpg (29979 bytes) This small heron inhabits a large part of Africa, Eurasia from the Iberian Peninsula and the Baltic coast to western China and Pakistan. It also occurs in Australia. The European populations are mainly wintering in tropical and southern Africa. Since 20-25 years they are strongly declining, and in several regions this decline reaches about 50-80%. The population of the European Union is estimated at 4300-6500 breeding pairs (Tucker & Heath). This decline cannot be explained solely by problems encountered in the breeding areas, like wetland reclamation, pollution and disturbance. Its seems also to be linked to problems in the winter quarters, especially the increasing climatic dryness which is responsible for the disappearance of many wetlands in the Sahel Region (Marion 1993, EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Nederland

10

20

C

Région Wallonne

2

7

C

Vlaams Gewest

0

3

C

Baden-Württemberg

40

50

C

Bayern

300

C

Brandenburg

100

250

C

Hamburg

1

C

Hessen

3

10

C

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

150

200

C

Niedersachsen

15

C

Nordrhein-Westfalen

5

20

C

Rheinland-Pfaltz

30

C

Sachsen

10

20

C

Sachsen-Anhalt

10

20

C

Schleswig-Holstein

0

5

C

Alsace

1

6

S

Aquitaine

5

10

C

Bourgogne

1

5

C

Bretagne

1

3

Centre

50

100

C

Champagne-Ardennes

30

C

Corse

1

3

Franche-Comté

5

10

C

Haute-Normandie

1

C

Ile de France

5

10

C

Languedoc-Roussillon

25

75

C

Lorraine

5

10

Midi-Pyrénées

5

10

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

2

5

C

Pays de la Loire

10

50

C

Picardie

5

10

C

Poitou-Charente

2

5

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

10

20

C

Rhône-Alpes

25

50

C

Abruzzi

1

10

Calabria

60

135

C

Campania

20

20

C

Emilia Romagna

60

135

C

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

5

20

Lazio

60

135

C

Liguria

1

5

C

Lombardia

200

300

C

Marche

60

135

C

Molise

60

135

C

Piemonte

60

135

C

Puglia

60

135

C

Sardegna

60

135

C

Sicilia

10

50

C

Toscana

60

135

C

Umbria

60

135

C

Veneto

60

135

C

Andalucia

50

100

N

Aragon

50

100

N

Baleares

300

500

C

Cantabria

1

5

N

Castilla la Mancha

75

150

N

Castilla y Leon

75

150

N

Cataluña

100

150

C

Comunidad Valenciana

300

C

Extremadura

50

150

N

Madrid

5

10

N

Murcia

5

10

N

Pais Vasco

1

5

N

Rioja

5

10

N

Alentejo

100

200

C

Algarve

100

200

 C

Centro

100

200

 C

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

100

200

C

Norte

100

200

 C

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

70

C

Dytiki Ellada

30

80

C

Dytiki Makedonia

175

C

Ionia nisia

5

15

C

Ipeiros

100

C

Kentriki Makedonia

200

C

Kriti

0

2

C

Notio Aigaio

0

3

C

Peloponnisos

25

C

Sterea Ellada

30

80

C

Thessalia

10

C

Voreio Aigaio

0

5

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax

wpeC.jpg (29429 bytes) A species with a worldwide distribution, known to breed in isolated areas of south-western, southern and Eastern Europe. Most of these birds are migratory and winter in Sub-Saharan Africa. The population of the European Union amounts to 25200-28200 breeding pairs, which represents 40-50% of the total European population. Notwithstanding the important Italian population is increasing, a decline is noticed in several regions, including the Netherlands, France and Greece following destruction of wetlands (Tucker & Heath).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Nederland

6

12

C

Vlaams Gewest

2

3

C

Bayern

6

6

C

Hessen

1

5

C

Alsace

0

5

C

Aquitaine

300

400

C

Auvergne

100

150

C

Bourgogne

10

20

C

Centre

100

200

C

Franche-Comté

5

6

C

Ile de France

1

1

C

Languedoc-Roussillon

100

C

Midi-Pyrénées

1200

2000

C

Pays de la Loire

60

80

C

Picardie

3

C

Poitou-Charente

25

50

C

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

380

400

C

Rhône-Alpes

300

400

 C

Abruzzi

1

10

Basilicata

100

250

C

Emilia Romagna

2500

2500

C

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

2500

2500

C

Lazio

100

250

C

Lombardia

8600

C

Piemonte

100

250

C

Puglia

100

250

C

Sardegna

100

250

C

Sicilia

2

5

C

Toscana

100

250

C

Umbria

100

250

C

Veneto

2500

2500

C

Andalucia

200

550

C

Aragon

100

C

Castilla la Mancha

130

180

C

Castilla y Leon

400

C

Cataluña

200

C

Comunidad Valenciana

60

220

C

Extremadura

270

320

C

Murcia

30

C

Navarra

60

70

C

Alentejo

75

150

C

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

25

50

C

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

25

C

Dytiki Makedonia

100

C

Ipeiros

75

C

Kentriki Makedonia

700

C

Sterea Ellada

10

C

Thessalia

10

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea

wpeD.jpg (26947 bytes) This heron inhabits permanent swamps of southern Eurasia, Eastern and Southern Africa. European birds winter in Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly in East Africa. In 1995 the population of the European Union amounted to 5200 breeding pairs (EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds), but following a long history of persecution and habitat destruction its distribution is strongly fragmented and reduced to a small number of breeding colonies. In several countries, including the Netherlands, the decline is continuing. Its seems also to be linked to a bad survival rate in the winter quarters (Cavé 1983).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Nederland

210

285

C

Baden-Württemberg

10

C

Bayern

20

C

Hessen

1

3

C

Rheinland-Pfaltz

10

C

Aquitaine

50

100

C

Auvergne

20

30

C

Bourgogne

5

10

C

Centre

100

150

C

Champagne-Ardennes

6

C

Franche-Comté

150

C

Languedoc-Roussillon

750

950

C

Limousin

30

50

C

Lorraine

10

20

C

Midi-Pyrénées

20

30

C

Pays de la Loire

100

150

C

Picardie

1

10

C

Poitou-Charente

200

250

C

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

600

C

Rhône-Alpes

100

500

Emilia Romagna

60

65

C

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

60

65

C

Lazio

60

65

C

Lombardia

136

C

Piemonte

60

65

C

Puglia

60

65

C

Sardegna

10

100

Toscana

60

65

C

Umbria

60

65

C

Veneto

60

65

C

Andalucia

500

1500

C

Aragon

10

100

Asturias

1

5

C

Baleares

50

100

C

Cantabria

1

5

C

Castilla la Mancha

5

10

C

Castilla y Leon

5

10

C

Cataluña

100

200

C

Comunidad Valenciana

92

179

I

Extremadura

1

10

C

Madrid

1

5

C

Murcia

1

5

C

Navarra

1

10

C

Pais Vasco

1

5

C

Rioja

1

5

C

Alentejo

75

120

C

Algarve

10

100

Centro

10

100

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

25

30

C

Norte

10

100

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

10

40

C

Dytiki Makedonia

15

40

C

Ipeiros

10

40

C

Kentriki Makedonia

30

60

C

Peloponnisos

10

C

Sterea Ellada

0

5

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Squacco Heron, Ardeola ralloides

wpeE.jpg (25505 bytes) This small heron inhabits the swamps of south-western Eurasia, from the Iberian Peninsula to Kazahkstan, and a large part of Africa. European populations winter in Sub-Saharan Africa. The total population of the European Union amounted to about 1600 breeding pairs in 1995, and seemed to decline in most countries (EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Aquitaine

1

10

 C

Languedoc-Roussillon

15

30

C

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

80

C

Rhône-Alpes

1

10

 C

Emilia Romagna

50

100

C

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

50

100

C

Lazio

5

50

C

Lombardia

88

C

Piemonte

1

5

C

Puglia

5

50

C

Sardegna

1

10

 C

Sicilia

1

10

 C

Toscana

5

50

C

Veneto

50

100

C

Andalucia

130

C

Aragon

1

10

C

Castilla la Mancha

1

5

C

Cataluña

191

250

C

Comunidad Valenciana

80

125

C

Extremadura

1

C

Murcia

13

C

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

1

5

C

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

5

C

Dytiki Ellada

0

15

C

Dytiki Makedonia

50

100

C

Ipeiros

10

50

C

Kentriki Makedonia

185

C

Sterea Ellada

0

15

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great White Egret, Egretta alba

wpeF.jpg (23154 bytes) This cosmopolitan species inhabits large swamps, swamp forests, estuaries and coastal marshes in temperate and tropical regions. In Europe it declined strongly since the middle of last century, and it is currently restricted to the central and south-eastern parts of the continent. European birds winter mainly in northern Africa and around the eastern Mediterranean, but an increasing number of individuals winter in Central Europe and the Netherlands. This bird seems to be very sensitive to the conditions of its habitats, and its populations fluctuate strongly. Its Central and Western European populations are increasing since about 1965, and a breeding colony (1-3 pairs) became established in the Netherlands in 1991. The Greek populations are still decreasing, however. The total population of the European Union remains marginal thus compared to the total European population which can be estimated at 12500-16000 breeding pairs

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Nederland

0

1

C

Emilia Romagna

1

1

C

Dytiki Makedonia

2

10

C

Kentriki Makedonia

1

10

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Little Egret, Egretta garzetta

wpe11.jpg (26399 bytes) This bird has a wide distribution in the southern parts of Europe and Asia, in northern, eastern and southern Africa, on the Cape Verde Islands, in Indonesia and Australia. European populations winter mainly in northern Africa, but since 1950 an increasing number of individuals remain during the winter along the European coasts of the Mediterranean. The population of the European Union amounts to about 22700 breeding pairs. It is increasing in Spain, France and Italy, decreasing in Greece (EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Aquitaine

370

C

Auvergne

20

100

C

Bourgogne

10

20

C

Bretagne

50

100

C

Centre

5

20

C

Languedoc-Roussillon

1000

C

Midi-Pyrénées

15

30

C

Pays de la Loire

180

220

C

Picardie

10

C

Poitou-Charente

100

300

C

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

1100

C

Rhône-Alpes

10

100

 C

Emilia Romagna

1000

2000

C

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

200

500

C

Lombardia

2000

4000

C

Piemonte

2000

4000

C

Puglia

50

250

C

Sardegna

50

250

C

Toscana

100

500

C

Veneto

500

1000

C

Andalucia

2000

4000

C

Aragon

20

C

Castilla la Mancha

90

C

Cataluña

1500

C

Comunidad Valenciana

2000

4000

C

Extremadura

220

C

Navarra

100

200

 C

Alentejo

1500

3500

C

Algarve

500

1000

C

Centro

50

200

 C

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

250

500

C

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

430

C

Dytiki Ellada

5

30

C

Dytiki Makedonia

100

C

Ipeiros

250

C

Kentriki Makedonia

700

C

Sterea Ellada

0

30

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Family CICONIIDAE, storks

White Stork, Ciconia ciconia

wpe13.jpg (27669 bytes) This stork has a discontinuous distribution from northern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia, but its most important populations inhabit Eastern and Central Europe. It winters mainly in the Sahel Region, East and South African, but small numbers remain in the Iberian Peninsula. The population of the European Union amounts to 14000-16000 breeding pairs, which represents only 11% of the total European population (Tucker & Heath). Until recently, the species declined in particular in north-west Europe. The reasons for this decline were numerous. They include mainly habitat changes and use of pesticides in the breeding areas, climatic dryness and use of pesticides during anti-locust campaigns in the winter quarters. More recently, its numbers increase in Spain and the species extends its range in the Baltic States and European Russia (EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Danmark

12

C

Nederland

8

13

C

Vlaams Gewest

1

C

Baden-Württemberg

60

C

Bayern

77

C

Berlin

3

C

Brandenburg

960

C

Bremen

5

C

Hamburg

9

C

Hessen

1

C

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

1053

C

Niedersachsen

259

C

Nordrhein-Westfalen

6

C

Rheinland-Pfaltz

0

C

Sachsen

292

C

Sachsen-Anhalt

357

C

Schleswig-Holstein

210

C

Thüringen

19

C

Alsace

80

C

Aquitaine

12

C

Auvergne

6

C

Basse-Normandie

7

C

Bourgogne

3

C

Centre

1

C

Champagne-Ardennes

1

C

Franche-Comté

1

C

Languedoc-Roussillon

1

C

Limousin

1

C

Lorraine

11

C

Pays de la Loire

3

C

Picardie

1

3

C

Poitou-Charente

14

C

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

2

C

Rhône-Alpes

1

3

 C

Calabria

1

1

C

Piemonte

8

8

C

Andalucia

719

C

Aragon

145

C

Cantabria

26

C

Castilla la Mancha

525

C

Castilla y Leon

2043

C

Cataluña

19

C

Extremadura

3140

C

Galicia

4

C

Madrid

335

N

Navarra

41

C

Pais Vasco

1

C

Rioja

46

C

Alentejo

700

900

C

Algarve

120

160

C

Centro

330

440

C

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

210

280

C

Norte

225

300

C

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

250

350

C

Dytiki Ellada

50

C

Dytiki Makedonia

100

C

Ipeiros

150

C

Kentriki Makedonia

290

C

Sterea Ellada

25

40

C

Thessalia

200

C

Voreio Aigaio

3

6

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Black Stork, Ciconia nigra

wpe12.jpg (25828 bytes) This stork inhabits a large part of Eurasia and also South Africa. Some birds of Southern Europe are sedentary, but most European populations winter in Sub-Saharan Africa. The total population of the European Union amounts to 400-470 breeding pairs. It has undergone a dramatic decrease between 1850 and 1950, and the species has disappeared from many regions. Since 1970 an increase has been noticed in several countries, and some regions of Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg have been colonised again. The population of the European Union represents only 4% of the total European population, however, and the global trends are unknown.

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Danmark

1

2

C

Région Wallonne

7

14

C

Luxembourg

1

C

Bayern

6

8

C

Brandenburg

17

C

Hessen

6

8

C

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

12

14

C

Niedersachsen

20

C

Nordrhein-Westfalen

1

3

C

Rheinland-Pfaltz

1

C

Sachsen-Anhalt

20

C

Schleswig-Holstein

8

C

Bourgogne

2

5

C

Centre

3

5

C

Champagne-Ardennes

2

5

C

Franche-Comté

2

5

C

Lorraine

2

5

 C

Pays de la Loire

2

5

 C

Poitou-Charentes

0

1

 C

Andalucia

16

C

Castilla la Mancha

18

C

Castilla y Leon

40

C

Extremadura

105

C

Alentejo

20

30

C

Centro

12

18

C

Norte

10

15

C

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

15

C

Dytiki Makedonia

1

5

C

Kentriki Makedonia

5

C

Thessalia

10

C

Voreio Aigaio

2

4

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Family THRESKIORNITHIDAE, ibises and spoonbills

Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia

wpe14.jpg (24595 bytes) This bird has a wide distribution throughout the southern parts of Eurasia, from the Iberian Peninsula to India and China. It winters in the Mediterranean regions and in Sub-Saharan Africa. The population of the European Union is totalling 1200-1400 breeding pairs, which represents 14-25% of the total European population. The western populations have increased during the last decades, but the eastern populations, including the Greek population, have undergone a steady decline. Consequently, the total European population has probably declined by 30%. Wetland reclamation and pollution are the main reasons (Tucker & Heath).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Nederland

400

530

C

Pays de la Loire

8

10

C

Emilia Romagna

7

7

C

Andalucia

400

700

C

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

10

20

C

Dytiki Makedonia

5

20

C

Ipeiros

75

100

C

Kentriki Makedonia

30

40

C

----------------------------------------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus

wpe15.jpg (23798 bytes) This bird has a nearly cosmopolitan but very fragmented distribution. In Europe it breeds in the Mediterranean regions, the Balkan Peninsula and the eastern parts of the continent. The population of the European Union comprises 52-89 breeding pairs, which represents only 0.5% of the total European population. Being fairly unpredictable in the occupation of its breeding sites, its trends are often difficult to assess, but globally it has undergone a strong decline since the latter part of last century, and its breeding area have definitely contracted. This trend seems even to have been accelerated during the last few decades. The main reasons for this are wetland reclamation, hunting and disturbance of breeding colonies (Tucker & Heath).

o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

0

3

C

Emilia Romagna

5

5

C

Lombardia

0

1

C

Piemonte

0

5

 C

Puglia

5

5

C

Sardegna

1

5

 C

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

0

6

C

Ipeiros

0

10

C

Kentriki Makedonia

70

C

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Family PHOENICOPTERIDAE, flamingoes

Greater Flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus (ruber)

wpe16.jpg (24652 bytes) This bird has a very fragmented distribution in Africa, south-western Asia, Central America, the Galapagos Islands and the Mediterranean regions of Europe. The population of the European Union amounts to about 14000-29000 breeding pairs, and seems quite stable. Some new breeding colonies have appeared during the last few years : in Greece in 1992 and in Italy in 1993. The populations of this species fluctuate widely according to climatic conditions. Being strictly dependent on coastal brackish waters, they are adversely affected by reclamation of lagoons and tourism development (EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds). 
o

NUTS

MIN

MAX

R

Provence/Alpes-Côte d'Azur

8200

20000

C

Sardegna

1600

1600

 C

Andalucia

400

10500

C

Comunidad Valenciana

0

30

N

Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

0

50

C

Voreio Aigaio

0

50

C

 

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Last update : 06/10/06