Belgium Ramsar wetland
De Zoom - Kalmthoutse Heide
257 bird species recorded; the most from April to May and in September.
No machine-readable author provided. Tbc assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domain
This month here
142 species in January.167 species in February.165 species in March.195 species in April.206 species in May.178 species in June.165 species in July.186 species in August.191 species in September.184 species in October.146 species in November.132 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
NT
NT
VU
VU
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
257 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 257Speciesrecorded more than once
- 147Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 11ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 153,962Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 19Raptors
- 6Owls
- 32Waders
- 14Gulls & seabirds
- 38Ducks & geese
- 15Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 103Songbirds
- 27Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 257 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Eurasian GoshawkAccipiter gentilis
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
Owls6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Waders32 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Black-winged PratincoleGlareola nordmanniNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
Gulls & seabirds14 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Common GullLarus canus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
Ducks & geese38 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- SmewMergellus albellus
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
- Black swanCygnus atratus
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Lesser white-fronted gooseAnser erythropusVU
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- Ringed TealCallonetta leucophrys
Herons, ibises & grebes15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Little BitternIxobrychus minutus
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Common CraneGrus grus
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Songbirds103 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Great titParus major
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Parrot CrossbillLoxia pytyopsittacus
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Barred WarblerSylvia nisoria
- Willow titParus montanus
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Little BuntingEmberiza pusilla
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Blyth’s Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorum
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Radde’s warblerPhylloscopus schwarzi
- Pallas's Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus proregulus
- Aquatic WarblerAcrocephalus paludicolaVU
Other birds27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- European SwiftApus apus
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- CootFulica atra
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Black GrouseLyrurus tetrix
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Porzana parvaPorzana parva
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from April to May and in September.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan5°/1°72 mm
- Feb6°/0°62 mm
- Mar10°/2°55 mm
- Apr14°/5°37 mm
- May18°/9°58 mm
- Jun21°/12°62 mm
- Jul23°/14°77 mm
- Aug23°/14°81 mm
- Sep20°/11°61 mm
- Oct15°/8°69 mm
- Nov10°/5°73 mm
- Dec6°/2°81 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
De Zoom - Kalmthoutse Heide.
Transnational protected area in Belgium and the Netherlands
De Zoom - Kalmthoutse Heide is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Belgium.
257 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 153,962 open records.
The most recorded are the European Stonechat, the Eurasian Chaffinch and the Tree Pipit.
87 species come for the summer, 56 for the winter and 4 only pass through.
11 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, Red-footed Falcon and European Turtle Dove.
The most species are recorded from April to May and in September.
Get there and watch
- Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site↗
- Staartse duinencampsite · 3.8 km · 22 within 10 km
- Hazeduinenplace to stay · 2.6 km · 39 within 10 km
- Puttenearest town · 4.1 km in a straight line
- Antwerp International Airport (Deurne) (ANR)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 23 km in a straight lineCar hire at BRU airport (Zaventem)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 2observation towers within 6 kmDe Stapper, Brandtoren Kalmthoutse Heide
- 178marked trails within 4 kmWandelpad Ree and 177 more
- 4visitor centres within 6 kmDe Vroente, Visit Kalmthout, Natuurpoort De Volksabdij and 1 more
- 10viewpoints within 5 kmHuzarenberg, Geldberg, Brandtoren Kalmthoutse Heide and 7 more
- 7car parks within 3 km
- 1restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 22campsites within 10 kmStaartse duinen, Kampeerboerderij De Boskeelen, Athena Ossendrecht and 19 more
- 39places to stay within 10 kmHazeduinen, Villa Konijnenberg, De Purperij and 36 more
- bird hides within 6 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around De Zoom - Kalmthoutse Heide.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas10 mountains within 25 kmKraaienberg · 1.3 kmTooverberg · 3.8 kmPilberg · 4.2 kmReeberg · 4.3 kmRijzendeweg · 8.0 kmBossestraat · 8.3 kmVossenweg · 10 kmKraaijenberg · 11 km
Lakeyas2 lakes within 15 kmStappensven0.3 km² · 3.1 kmMarkiezaatsmeer12 km² · 14 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
De Zoom - Kalmthoutse Heide
Belgium
- 88Birdyas Score
- 257Species
- 147Migrants
- 11Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Unterer Niederrhein'
Germany · 154 km
- 86Birdyas Score
- 211Species
- 99Migrants
- 9Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Schwalm-Nette-Platte mit Grenzwald u. Meinweg'
Germany · 132 km
- 70Birdyas Score
- 195Species
- 98Migrants
- 3Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q2156810) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 153,962 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Lakeyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
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waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit