Germany Special Protection Area for birds
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Schwalm-Nette-Platte mit Grenzwald u. Meinweg'
195 bird species recorded; the most from April to May.
Rudolfo42 · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
116 species in January.117 species in February.129 species in March.147 species in April.147 species in May.121 species in June.122 species in July.125 species in August.126 species in September.123 species in October.112 species in November.106 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.































































































































































































































































































- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
195 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).
- 195Speciesrecorded more than once
- 98Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 3ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 91,983Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 55 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 16Raptors
- 5Owls
- 21Waders
- 7Gulls & seabirds
- 26Ducks & geese
- 10Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 81Songbirds
- 26Other 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 195 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors16 species
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Eurasian GoshawkAccipiter gentilis
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
Owls5 species
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
Waders21 species
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
Gulls & seabirds7 species
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
Ducks & geese26 species
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Ringed TealCallonetta leucophrys
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Wood DuckAix sponsa
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Black swanCygnus atratus
- Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- SmewMergellus albellus
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
Herons, ibises & grebes10 species
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
Storks & cranes3 species
- Common CraneGrus grus
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Songbirds81 species
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Northern NutcrackerNucifraga caryocatactes
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
Other birds26 species
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- European SwiftApus apus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- CootFulica atra
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
- Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- CockatielNymphicus hollandicus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
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.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan5°/-1°76 mm
- Feb6°/-1°62 mm
- Mar10°/1°58 mm
- Apr15°/4°42 mm
- May19°/8°61 mm
- Jun22°/12°64 mm
- Jul24°/14°76 mm
- Aug23°/13°80 mm
- Sep20°/10°57 mm
- Oct15°/7°64 mm
- Nov9°/3°72 mm
- Dec5°/0°79 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Schwalm-Nette-Platte mit Grenzwald u. Meinweg'.
Special protection area in the EU defined by the birds directive in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Schwalm-Nette-Platte mit Grenzwald u. Meinweg' is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Germany.
195 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 91,983 open records.
The most recorded are the Common Wood Pigeon, the Western Jackdaw and the Eurasian Blackbird.
53 species come for the summer, 43 for the winter and 2 only pass through.
3 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, European Turtle Dove and Curlew Sandpiper.
The most species are recorded from April to May.

Get there and watch
- Wohnmobilstellplatz Viersencampsite · 4.1 km · 28 within 10 km
- Hotel zum Schänzchenplace to stay · 3.0 km · 81 within 10 km
- Schwalmtalnearest town · 5.1 km in a straight line
- Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 33 km in a straight lineCar hire at DUS airport (Düsseldorf)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
- 1observation towers within 6 kmKreiskriegerdenkmal
- 12marked trails within 4 kmX3 Rhein-Netteseen-Weg, X9 Rhein-Maas-Weg, Rundweg A5 Kreuzgarten and 9 more
- 2visitor centres within 6 kmNetteKultur, Dorfpavillon Gützenrath
- 3viewpoints within 5 kmWasser.Blick 17 - Hariksee und Inselschlösschen
- 66car parks within 3 km
- 27restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 28campsites within 10 kmWohnmobilstellplatz Viersen, Wohnmobilstellplatz Flothend, Campingplatz Schwalmtal des KCCS e.V. and 25 more
- 81places to stay within 10 kmHotel zum Schänzchen, Haus Berger, Hotel-Restaurant Rath and 78 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 Vogelschutzgebiet 'Schwalm-Nette-Platte mit Grenzwald u. Meinweg'.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.

Vogelschutzgebiet 'Schwalm-Nette-Platte mit Grenzwald u. Meinweg'
Germany
- 70Birdyas Score
- 195Species
- 98Migrants
- 3Threatened

Vogelschutzgebiet 'Unterer Niederrhein'
Germany · 53 km
- 86Birdyas Score
- 211Species
- 99Migrants
- 9Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q61040468) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 91,983 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.



