Germany Special Protection Area for birds
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Moore und Heiden des westlichen Münsterlandes'
136 bird species recorded; the most in May.
Spunkinho · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
64 species in January.58 species in February.76 species in March.96 species in April.116 species in May.71 species in June.38 species in July.44 species in August.25 species in September.60 species in October.38 species in November.48 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
NT
NT
NT
NT
NTNT
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- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
136 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).
- 136Speciesrecorded more than once
- 70Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 1ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 3,336Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 8Raptors
- 2Owls
- 14Waders
- 3Gulls & seabirds
- 14Ducks & geese
- 5Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 68Songbirds
- 20Other 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 136 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors8 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
Owls2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
Waders14 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Gulls & seabirds3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Ducks & geese14 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
Herons, ibises & grebes5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common CraneGrus grus
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Songbirds68 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Great titParus major
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
Other birds20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
- CootFulica atra
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- European SwiftApus apus
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in May.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan4°/-1°75 mm
- Feb6°/-1°59 mm
- Mar10°/1°54 mm
- Apr15°/4°40 mm
- May18°/8°60 mm
- Jun22°/12°61 mm
- Jul24°/14°75 mm
- Aug23°/13°79 mm
- Sep19°/10°58 mm
- Oct14°/6°63 mm
- Nov9°/3°69 mm
- Dec5°/0°75 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Moore und Heiden des westlichen Münsterlandes'.
Special protection area in the EU defined by the birds directive in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Moore und Heiden des westlichen Münsterlandes' is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Germany.
136 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 3,336 open records.
The most recorded are the Eurasian Chaffinch, the Eurasian Blackbird and the Great tit.
37 species come for the summer, 23 for the winter and 10 only pass through.
1 are threatened worldwide, including European Turtle Dove.
The most species are recorded in May.
Get there and watch
- Stellplatz im Grünencampsite · 3.4 km · 20 within 10 km
- Bredeck-Bakkerplace to stay · 1.8 km · 38 within 10 km
- Ahausnearest town · 8.6 km in a straight line
- Münster Osnabrück Airport (FMO)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 54 km in a straight lineCar hire at FMO airport (Greven)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
- 3bird hides within 6 kmWitte Veen - Vogelkijkscherm
- 42marked trails within 4 kmWNW Twente - Haarmühle/Witte Veen - blauwe route, WNW Twente - Buurse/Wiite Veen - oranje route, WNW Twente - Haarmühle - rode route and 39 more
- 4viewpoints within 5 km
- 40car parks within 3 km
- 5restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 20campsites within 10 kmStellplatz im Grünen, Camping de Meene, De Nieuwe Bosplaats and 17 more
- 38places to stay within 10 kmBredeck-Bakker, Hotel Franke, Hotel Haus im Flör and 35 more
- observation towers within 6 km
- visitor centres 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 Vogelschutzgebiet 'Moore und Heiden des westlichen Münsterlandes'.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas5 mountains within 25 kmDaß-Berg · 14 kmLonnekerberg · 15 kmRams-Berg90 m · 20 kmTankenberg · 23 kmPaasberg80 m · 24 km
Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 kmRecreatieterrein Het Rutbeek0.3 km² · 8.4 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.
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Moore und Heiden des westlichen Münsterlandes'
Germany
- 58Birdyas Score
- 136Species
- 70Migrants
- 1Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Unterer Niederrhein'
Germany · 51 km
- 86Birdyas Score
- 211Species
- 99Migrants
- 9Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Rieselfelder Münster'
Germany · 52 km
- 86Birdyas Score
- 253Species
- 141Migrants
- 8Threatened
VSG 'Heubachniederung, Lavesumer Bruch und Borkenberge'
Germany · 40 km
- 68Birdyas Score
- 177Species
- 93Migrants
- 3Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q61040455) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 3,336 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
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
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