The Great Bustard the Brandenburg ostrich Landesamt für Umwelt, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz

Transcription

1 Species and Biotope Conservation The Great Bustard the Brandenburg ostrich Landesamt für Umwelt, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz

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3 The Great Bustard the Brandenburg ostrich 1

4 2 The Great Bustard the Brandenburg ostrich Contents The Great Bustard has it been saved? Brandenburg s ostrich Once a steppe bird... today on fields and meadows Once in the thousands in Brandenburg... today a rare bird Great Bustard looking for a wife... and with successful mating Cocks go traveling... flight from hard winters Help in situ... international responsibilities A look beyond the horizon A Bustard-friendly habitat Please do not disturb! The artificial hen Fosterlings in need The Great Bustard in conflict Wings in the wind What individuals can do for the Great Bustard A feast for the eyes: observing Bustards Buckow: the cradle of Brandenburg s Great Bustard conservation Hand in Hand Additional information Literature, Internet, addresses Imprint

5 The Great Bustard the Brandenburg ostrich 3 Did you know... that a mature male great bustard can be as heavy as a deer, weighing up to 17 kilograms? The great bustard is among one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. Not only that, but the difference in weight between the male and female great bustard is greater than that of any other bird species in the world.

6 4 The Great Bustard the Brandenburg ostrich Did you know... earlier the Great Bustard was considered big game and could only be hunted by the kaisers, kings, and nobility? The administrators of the king s court hunt recorded 820 bustards killed by hunting in Prussia in the year Courtship display of a Great Bustard cock

7 Foreword 5 The Great Bustard has it been saved? Anyone who has had the joy of observing the amazing natural spectacle of the Great Bustard s courtship will never forget the experience, and will also understand why conservationists do almost anything conceivable to preserve this endangered species. Every year there are more and more friends of the Bustard who can t escape their fascination with this animal and who want to conserve this bird in the wild. The last three territories of the Great Bustard in Germany are in Brandenburg, in the Belziger Landschaftswiesen (Belzig Landscape Meadows), in the Havelländisches Luch (Havelland Bog), and, crossing the border to Saxony-Anhalt, in the Fiener Bruch (Fiener Swamp). Thanks to dedicated, extensive conservation efforts over 120 birds live in these three areas. In the mid-1990 s their population at just 57 was on the verge of extinction. A little over one per cent of the population of sixty years previous remained in Germany. The trend was then reversed literally at the eleventh hour, the joint efforts of nature conservationists and farmers were able to prevent the extinction of a species in Germany which is endangered around the world. Has the Great Bustard been saved? For the time being yes. But further conservation efforts are essential in these last refuges! Prof. Matthias Freude President of the Brandenburg State Office for Environment

8 6 Habitat and Biology The Brandenburg ostrich Historical representations of Great Bustards: from Brehms Tierleben ( Brehm s Animal Life ) 1893 (above) as well as the Great Bustard cock, artist unknown, archive of H. Litzbarski (below) Once a steppe bird... The original habitats of the Great Bustard were wide-open steppe landscapes. Forest clearing in the Middle Ages created fields, meadows, and heathlands so-called cultured steppes that were attractive to the bustards and which they quickly settled. In the 18th and 19th centuries the large birds belonged to the typical, widely distributed species on the agricultural lands of Europe. They were even present in southern Sweden and in large parts of England. Did you know... earlier the Great Bustard was called the Ackertrapp (Field Bustard) or Trappgans (bustard goose)? In Upper Wendish it was called Dudak and in Lower Wendish Groupun.

9 Habitat and Biology 7...today on fields and in meadows Additional habitats came about in Central Europe when large swamps and lowland moors were drained. Pure agricultural landscapes have since lost their suitability for Great Bustards. But even grassland by itself is not an optimal habitat because of its cool and moist microclimate and the corresponding vegetation structure. For decades now the coexistence of field and lowland moors has characterized the habitat of the bustards in Germany. Although the species is able to get through the winter with just a few stems of rapeseed, it belongs to the most demanding birds of agricultural landscapes. For one, it requires large, contiguous, and undisturbed areas over which the bird can keep a good view. For another it needs richly-structured vegetation with light, sunny areas. Many insects, spiders, worms, and other invertebrate species live in this diverse plant world that the bustard requires for the rearing of their young.

10 8 Habitat and Biology One in a thousand in Brandenburg... Bustard hunter in the Middle Ages, after GEWALT (1959). Distribution of the Great Bustard in Brandenburg in 1934, after GEWALT (1959). Did you know... The Great Bustard is still considered an animal that may be hunted, although it is out of season for the whole year? The Mark Brandenburg was always the stronghold of the Great Bustard in Germany. That is why the bird is also known as the Märkische Strauß or Brandenburg ostrich. While the authorities valued the bird for hunting and eating, the farmers always complained about the damage to their fields. For this reason one began to control the Great Bustards beginning in 1753 with the permission of Frederick II in order to reduce the damage to agriculture. At the beginning of the 20th century school children still had to collect bustard eggs from the fields. In 1939, in the former Mark Brandenburg, there were around 3,400 bustards more than half of all the birds settled in Germany. The population then sank rapidly in the following decades.

11 Habitat and Biology 9...a rare bird The intensification of agriculture since the middle of the 19th century fundamentally altered the conditions of the farming landscape and thereby destroyed the habitat of numerous plants and animals also that of the Great Bustard. First they disappeared from the pure agricultural landscapes, later also from the marsh areas that increasingly became transformed into grassland monocultures. In the 1970s and 80s successful breeding of wild bustards in Brandenburg was already extremely rare, although there were still a few hundred individuals. Many clutches of eggs fell victim to the frequent work processes on the farmland, and where chicks did hatch they became trapped and then starved in the high, dense, and insect-poor vegetation. The long life expectancy of the older birds alone was enough to delay the population reductions. In today s agricultural conditions in Germany suitable habitats for the Great Bustards can only be retained in reserve areas with largescale, extensive land use and specially designed cultivation schemes.

12 10 Habitat and Biology Causes for the decline of the Great Bustard increase in mowing and other work processes intensive fertilization pesticides soil compaction higher livestock densities time between work processes no longer sufficient for breeding and rearing dense and high vegetation with unfavorable microclimate species-poor plant stocks decline in invertebrates (number of species and biomass) large losses due to machine use (clutches, young and adult birds) insufficient sunny areas for the chicks high resistance to movement starvation due to acute lack of invertebrates

13 Habitat and Biology cm 75 cm 50 cm 25 cm 0 cm Only extensively utilised meadows (right), arable land and fallow ground offer enough food for great bustard chicks; they have no chance of survival in high, thick, intensively used grassland (left). The photo (below) shows an area of arable ground which is particularly rich in insects.

14 12 Habitat and Biology Great Bustard seeks a mate... Great bustards do not live in pairs, but in breeding communities (internationally know as leks ). This can consist of up to 130 animals and take in a area of between 30 to 80 square kilometres. Outside the breeding period the adult bustards tend to live in groups split by gender, but the young of the last brood remain with the female groups. Males and females find one another primarily in the courting period. The birds return to the same place every year for courting; as a rule these are spots that have been used for generations. Cocks skirmishing at the edge of the courting ground.

15 Habitat and Biology 13 The courtship is an incredible sight. The cock transforms himself into a large, white ball of feathers to do so, he turns the brown, patterned flight feathers out so that the white underside and the white feathers of the elbow face upwards. The tail flips up to the back and shows only the white down feathers. The long beard feathers stand straight up. The transformation is swift and complete. The puffed up neck makes the cock seem even bigger. Easily visible from afar the cocks attract receptive females at a great distance. In small, isolated groups the hens fly over 10, sometimes even 30 kilometers, to reach the cocks at the next breeding ground. To brood they return to their familiar territory, as the cocks have no duties during the brooding and upbringing times whatsoever. It was previously thought that the hens usually bred within a five kilometre radius of the mating ground. According to the latest results from Spain, the breeding grounds are on average 8 kilometres from the mating ground, but can be up to a maximum of 54 kilometres away. The choice of partner is made by the hens. They choose one of the strongest cocks for the fertilization of their eggs. For this reason the older hens are more likely to procreate. Did you know... during the courtship the heart rate of the cocks can reach 900 beats per minute?

16 14 Habitat and Biology The clutch consists of one to three (usually two) eggs, for which the hens merely construct a flat hollow in the ground of a field of grassland usually without any nesting material.

17 Habitat and Biology 15 Did you know... the adult animals eat herbs, flowering stocks, insects, and small mammals, but the young animals are initially only fed on insects? In the first two weeks of life Great Bustard chicks need more than 10,000 insects almost a kilogram in order to survive....and with successful mating After a brooding period of about 25 days the eggs hatch, and the chicks weigh about 90 grams. Even though they immediately leave the nest, they are only able to follow the hen clumsily and slowly in the first days of life. The hen continually feeds them small bits of food with her beak: initially only insects. From the tenth day on the portion of plant fare increases dramatically. But without a sufficient source of insects the chicks have no chance of survival.

18 16 Habitat and Biology Even though the young bustards are beginning to fly at four to five weeks, they still try to avoid dangers for many weeks by squatting down into the ground vegetation a fateful strategy! For then they can be caught up in and killed by the farm machines that work the fields and grasslands. Only after 10 to 12 weeks do they try to fly away by that time having reached approximately the size of the hen. The male chicks quickly grow larger than this, but even in the autumn the mother now much smaller than they still feeds some of them. Females usually become sexually mature at the age of 2, whereas males become sexually mature between 4 and 5 years old.

19 Habitat and Biology 17 Annual Cycle of the Great Bustard Oct. Sep. Nov. Aug. Dec. WINTERING IN GROUPS July CHICKS Jan. BROODING TIME June COURTSHIP PERIOD Feb. May Mar. April

20 18 Habitat and Biology Cocks go traveling... The Great Bustards on Russian territory are almost exclusively migratory birds. Even the Spanish bustards, especially the cocks, change their territory regularly between brood and wintering areas with a distance between them of up to 250 kilometers. In contrast, the Central European Great Bustards are significantly less mobile. Under normal circumstances they go no further than 15 to 25 kilometers from their brooding ground outside of the breeding season. Other migrations are undertaken primarily by the cocks that haven t yet reached reproductive age less frequently by hens. These excursions can cover hundreds of kilometers in all directions. Earlier the birds would have met other members of their species who they could join. The fact that the migrations often come to nothing these days reduces the survival chances of the bachelors. Migrating great bustards also collide with overhead powerlines; the risk of collision with wind turbines has so far not been estimated.

21 Habitat and Biology 19 Severe winters cause great loss among the bustards after the 1978/89 winter migration as well as high losses among the remaining birds reduced the population in Germany by 45 percent....flight from hard winters Only in winters with heavy snows do the local birds stray far from their brooding grounds, flying westward and sometimes even making an appearance in France. Escaping the winter in this way, as happened in the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11 after almost a twenty-year break, always result in losses. In the mild winters before 2009 the bustards remained at home. During times of snow it is possible to help the bird by clearing rape seed fields, their preferred winter feeding ground. It is possible that great bustards will be among the long-term winners of global warming, at least in Central Europe. Models of Great Bustard and climate data predict that the bustards could benefit from climate change in East Germany more than in any other area in Central Europe. But what is decisive is the type of land use under these new climate conditions. The international responsibility of Germany to protect this species is therefore all the greater. Did you know... Great Bustards are powerful and indefatigable fliers in spite of their weight? While in Central Europe they primarily live as sedentary birds, in Russia they are migratory birds that migrate circa 1,000 kilometers to their winter quarters in Ukraine.

22 20 Conservation Help in situ...

23 Conservation 21...international responsibilities More than thirty areas in the former GDR were designated bustard sanctuaries. But effective conservation measures were only present in a few of the areas. In all the places where the designation bustard sanctuary was only an empty phrase the large birds have since disappeared. They survived only in areas where there were intense efforts to protect the birds and their habitat in the Havelländisches Luch, the Belziger Landschaftswiesen, and in the Fiener Bruch. Today Brandenburg State Office for Environment is the supporting agency for the Great Bustard conservation project with significant help of the Great Bustard Conservation Foundation, which is also active in Saxony-Anhalt. That is also where the state responsibility is located, at the Landkreis Jerichower Land, Untere Naturschutzbehörde (Lower Conservation Administration of Jerichow County). Buckow 7003 Havelländisches Luch Buckow Brandenburg a.d.havel Potsdam Brandenburg a.d.havel Baitz Potsdam Frankfurt (O.) 7022 Fiener Bruch 7003 Belziger Baitz Landschaftswiesen Special Protection Areas (SPA) according to the EC Birds Directive (79/409/EWG) Cottbus

24 22 Conservation Did you know... the Great Bustard has an enormous distribution reaching from Spain to Mongolia, but that they now only live in isolated populations? A look beyond the horizon The conservation of the Great Bustard in Germany is part of an international effort to protect this species. The basis is formed by European and even international agreements especially the EC Birds Directive that are aimed not only at the birds themselves but also their habitats. These parts of the Europe-wide network NATURA 2000 have been designated as Special Protection Areas (SPA). This network consisting of SPAs and special areas of conservation pursuant to the FFH Directive, aims to help maintain the plant and animal world in Europe very much in the sense of the Biodiversity Convention that is supposed to ensure a diversity of life on Earth beyond just the EU. Great Bustards are a part of this diversity. There is even an agreement that is dedicated solely to the Great Bustards in Central Europe the so-called Memorandum of Understanding. This sub-agreement of the Bonn Convention for the Conservation of Migratory Animals regulates the international efforts in research and protection of the Great Bustard. In this context there have been two conferences at which the twelve signatory countries agreed to an international work program and critically inspected the status of the implementation of the memorandum. The Great Bustard conservationists in Brandenburg work especially closely with their colleagues in Spain, Austria, Hungary, Ukraine, and Russia. As a strictly protected species the Great Bustard also falls under the trade restrictions of CITES. According to the Red List of Threatened Birds of the World the Great Bustard is considered vulnerable this corresponds to category 3 endangered in Germany. Red lists are points of orien-tation for conservation strategies and political decisions. On the Red List of birds in Germany and Brandenburg the Great Bustard is ranked in category 1, threatened by extinction. The State of Brandenburg is aware of its responsibility and has implemented all possible measures to protect and conserve the Great Bustard, for it was one hundred years ago that the Mark Brandenburg was the area in which the greatest number of Great Bustards lived in Germany, by far.

25 Conservation 23 The conservation of the Great Bustard in Brandenburg is achieved by... Bustard-friendly configuration of habitats and the extensification of agriculture minimizing disturbances reintroduction of young bustards, as long as there is an acute risk of extinction efforts to protect the reproduction of bustards from the high predation pressure

26 24 Conservation A bustard-friendly habitat Transparent landscape The one-time steppe bird needs an open and easily visible landscape. Only in these conditions the birds can recognize approaching threats in time. They avoid areas with tall or dense cover. Individual trees, bushes, or a small copse do not however bother the birds. Less is more for the Great Bustard Fertilizers and pesticides lead to high nutrient loads in the soil, to lush, dense growth and to uniform plant stocks. Bustards however need light, low vegetation with a broad spectrum of plant species. Biologists have the rule of thumb: every plant species is tied to and feeds 10 to 12 insect species. These, in turn, are an important source of nutrition for the Great Bustard chicks and many other animal species, such as grey partridges, lapwings, and skylarks. Diversity instead of monotony In times past huge plots of cultivated land were structured and improved by so-called Trappenstreifen (bustard strips) strips that had been taken out of use and had developed into permanent grassland. Smaller plots, interesting foraging areas, and many structured and species-rich borders developed. Happily there are now many farms in the Havelländisches Luch that have switched over to organic farming. Especially on the cultivated land this improves the vegetation structure, the microclimate, and the food sources for the chicks. Great Bustards need farming Bustard-friendly habitats can only be created together with famers. The bases for this cooperative work are the Agrar-Umwelt-Programme (Agri-Environmental Programs) and conservation contracts with the farmers as well as special conservation regulations. The agricultural labor on the respective fields must be fitted to the annual cycle of the birds.

27 Conservation 25 Did you know... bustards are more closely related to cranes than to chickens? The progress made by reptiles and amphibians after stopping the use of fertiliser and the discontinuation of ploughing of fields is represetativeof many groups of animal and plant species. In the picture the number of species ascertained in the Havelland Luch Nature Protection Area in what used to be an area of creeping velvet grassland and after the start of extensive utilisation.

28 26 Conservation Please do not disturb! Great Bustards feel safe when they are able to recognize enemies from afar and then either avoid or flee from them. The conservation concept is therefore oriented towards guiding visitors: closing off trails, on the one hand, and providing possibilities for observation, on the other. This combination allows the core areas of the Great Bustard territories to remain largely free of unnecessary human disturbance. Nonetheless visitors still have the opportunity to experience these big birds. Agreements with airport administrators, balloonists, and the army have made it possible to also significantly reduce disturbances from the air. The bustards are thankful: the fertilization rate of their eggs is now much higher than in the 1980s.

29 Conservation 27 The artificial hen Large-scale habitat protection began in the late 1980s in the two bustard territories of the Havelländisches Luch and the Belziger Landschaftswiesen. Before then the species could only be protected by finding clutches during agricultural work and then saving them. But the brooded and raised young birds then had to be released back into the same unsuitable habitat from which the eggs came. Today the artificial incubation of rescued eggs and the rearing of young birds by humans is still a part of the protection strategy, but only as a complement to the protection of habitats. The goal is a sustainable population that requires no more artificial population support. In the Havelländisches Luch this goal is already quite close. The results of the artificial brood and rearing Time frame Hatching success rates of fertilized eggs Released birds as a percentage of hatched chicks Number of released birds ,7 % 53,6 % ,6 % 69,9 % ,9 % 76,1 % 338 This table shows the results of the brooding and rearing in recent decades. While the results of rearing have constantly improved, the brooding success rate has stabilized below 70 percent.

30 28 Conservation The eggs for the artificial brood are from clutches inadvertently mown free, but are also sometimes specifically gathered. But doesn t it endanger the population when the eggs are just taken away from the Great Bustards? Long-term observations have shown that so-called predators, primarily foxes, eat a large percentage of the clutches. Not only Great Bustards, but also many species that brood on meadows are increasingly suffering this fate, and especially in large swaths of Central Europe. For the Great Bustards it is primarily the earlier clutches that end in the stomachs of predators, at times when the vegetation doesn t provide enough cover. Since these eggs would be lost in any case and as the hens regularly lay several subsequent clutches the responsible parties in the Environmental Agency and the Great Bustard Conservation Foundation decided to take a portion of these clutches to brood and raise at the hands of men. The natural tendency to subsequent clutches means that eggs are found into July and young birds into August. The rescued eggs are artificially brooded in an incubator and humans then rear the hatched chicks. The bustards are not allowed to get used to being cared for like house pets. To ensure the freed birds behave in a manner appropriate to the species it is necessary: to reduce contact with humans to a minimum to limit contact to a few, uniformly dressed persons to begin the process of returning them to the wild at around six weeks. In the Havelländisches Luch the goal of a self-sustaining population has almost been reached. The population, which has almost quadrupled since 1996, was built largely without artificial brooding, but wouldn t have been possible without intensive management of the wild broods inside a fox-proof protection fence. The slump in 2011 was a Winter flight caused

31 Conservation 29 Fosterlings in need Over centuries humans have changed the habitat of the Great Bustard and its entire plant and animal world. Predator-prey relationships and c ompetition between the individual species have to find a new balance under constantly changing conditions ecologists speak of dynamic equilibrium. Many factors have led to the increased frequency in the last decades of animal species that belong to the predators of bustards and their eggs, such as foxes and ravens. Additionally there are invasive species such as the raccoon and raccoon dog that pose potential risks. This shift in the species structure primarily has negative effects on the reproduction of the Great Bustards, which would have reached rock bottom were it not for conservation efforts. This is a problem for many other bird species that brood on the ground, not only in Brandenburg, but also in large parts of Central Europe. These include the lapwing, grey partridge, and the curlew. While foxes can also be a danger to adult bustards, raccoons (middle) and raccoon dogs (right) pose risks primarily to the clutches and young animals.

32 30 Conservation While the hunt for Fox and other predatory mammals hasn t improved the reproduction rate of the bustards, the fox-proof fences in the conservation areas have demonstrated their worth. With their sense for safety the free ranging adult hens now seek out these fenced-in areas for their broods. Above all in the Havelländisches Luch they prefer the pens to the surrounding landscape. Up to 15 hens brood here at once on an area of 18 hectares and bear up to 11 fledged young per year significantly more than outside the protection fences. One can hope that this aid measure will only be temporarily necessary and that the bustards will one day be able to successfully brood in the wild Number of fledged young per year gefundene Brutplätze Open land Protection fence geschlüpfte Küken flügge Küken Protecting the birds from ground predators in the fenced-in areas has led to an increasing reproduction rate in the German Great Bustard project. Comparison of the reproduction rate in the wild and in the fenced-in areas in the Havelländisches Luch

33 Conservation 31 Great Bustard in Conflict The Great Bustard achieved an ambiguous fame in some media outlets in the 1990s as the most expensive bird in the world. The reason behind this was the railway line from Berlin to Hannover that went right through the Great Bustard territory in the Havelländisches Luch. What had previously only been used as noise control for human settlements was now to be used to protect the bustards walls on either side of the tracks to avoid collisions between the birds and the trains or their overhead wires. The project was a complete success for all involved, including the Deutsche Bahn (German Railway). The section of the line was completed on time and the costs came in under budget. They amounted to a small portion of what the alternatives a long bypass or a tunnel would have cost. The implemented measures are also advantageous for many other bird species as well as beavers and European otters, for which a special passage beneath the tracks was built. The bustards themselves tolerate the train line. Did you know... Great Bustards sleep on their belly? They pull their head between their shoulders. The Bustard Wall also allows other birds, such as the cranes (above) to safely cross the train line.

34 32 Conservation Wings in the wind The conflict between the wind turbines and the Great Bustards has found resonance in the media. The large wind turbines change the landscape and can obstruct habitats and flight paths. To some species they also pose an accident risk. To date no Great Bustards are known to have fallen victim, but studies have only been conducted in a few wind parks. At present we don t know how these large birds will behave toward the wind parks within their traditional migration routes. However it has been shown that the bustards avoid a wind park on the edge of the Fiener Bruch and have thereby lost an important part of their habitat. Whether this will have an effect on the larger population is not yet clear. A gradual acclimatization of at least some animals as with other species is not out of the question, but would thereby increase the risk of collision. A recent study has shown that currently only around 10% the environment of the last three German great bustard territories is uninterrupted and undeveloped and therefore of use to the great bustard.

35 Conservation 33 Compensation and mitigation for the wind parks is meant to ensure that the ability of the potentially affected species to maintain themselves is not damaged. Thus, for example, the extensification of agricultural areas with terms of up to 20 years are being financed. Parallel to this is a monitoring effort that is an investigation into the effects on the animal world, including the Great Bustards. The results will be made available for future planning. Recent developments in the agricultural politics have added to the plight of Brandenburg s ostrich: the increasing orientation toward regenerative resources as a source of energy means a further reduction in the species habitat. Areas that were designated fallow land by the EU until 2007 are now being planted with corn, sorghum, and other fast growing cultures. In Brandenburg the percentage of fallow land was reduced by 45 percent within one year. Further habitats for the Great Bustard are disappearing, for example their stepping stones outside the conservation areas. Did you know... the Great Bustard cannot stand on one leg like a stork because it doesn t have a hind toe? Many species suffer from the reduction of fallow land, including the corn bunting (left) and the whinchat (right).

36 34 Conservation What individuals can do for the Great Bustard Farmers in the nature reserves Havelländisches Luch and Belziger Landschaftswiesen are included in the conservation efforts. They work within the guidelines of the Agri-Environmental Programs and the conservation agreements and have adapted the farming practices toward bustard-friendly land use. There are similar approaches for the third remaining Great Bustard territory: the Fiener Bruch. In all three areas bustard conservationists maintain regular contact with the hunters, who for their part, consider the demands of the Great Bustards. As the number of bustards increases one can expect to also find broods outside of the protected areas. Therefore the attention and support of the farmers and hunters in the broader surroundings of the protected areas are also important. Above all when there is a brood or suspicion of one the responsible institutions should be contacted (see Addresses on p. 47).

37 Conservation 35 With understanding and consideration visitors and inhabitants of the surrounding communities help to protect the Great Bustard. Only approved routes and paths should be used, and the necessary prohibitions against entry and closed areas should be tolerated. Disturbances do not just bother the bustards but also visitors who have travelled from afar only to find an empty courting ground. Please heed the instructions on the information boards in the protected areas. Notification of Great Bustard sightings, particularly outside the known territories, are always appreciated by the responsible institutions. They complete our picture of the bustards room use, fill gaps in the ongoing monitoring, and can aid in integrating the farmers of the relevant land used by the birds. Ornithologists with good optical equipment should, if they discover a Great Bustard, pay attention to the ringing of the birds. The colored leg rings can be seen with binoculars up to a point. The reading of the ring codes requires a good spotting scope with which the necessary distance can be kept. Whoever would like to do more for the Great Bustards... is welcome to get in contact with a staff member at the care centers (see Addresses on page 47). Support is also possible through the Great Bustard Conservation Foundation.

38 36 Conservation For more than ten years now Great Bustards are equipped with transmitters to follow their movements; tail and neck transmitter (small photo), backpack transmitter (large photo).

39 Conservation rescued eggs fledged young young set free wild population Did you know... Great Bustards can live to be 20 to 25 years old? The overall conservation measures are currently leading to an increase in the Great Bustard population in Germany the first time after decades of decreases. The chart shows that setting birds free as well as a stabile number of fledged young bustards contribute to the population increases. A striking demonstration of the difference in size, between the cock and hen.

40 38 Observation A feast for the eyes: observing bustards

41 Observation 39 For the viewer it is an unforgettable experience when, in the failing light at dusk, the cock birds transform themselves from dull shapes to brilliant white beacons and then almost disappear again. In order to enjoy this spectacle of the bustard s courtship without disturbing the birds there are three observation towers in the Havelländisches Luch and the Belziger Landschaftswiesen. They are open year round and no registration is necessary (see map section on pages 42 and 43). With a little luck one might also meet a barn owl in the towers; they leave their traces in the form of white splotches. In mild weather the courting of the bustards begins as early as February and continues on if not so intensely until the early summer. The best bustard observations can generally be made from the beginning of April to the end of May. The morning and evening hours are particularly suitable, although in the fen mires it can be foggy in the early hours. As summer approaches the bustards are increasingly invisible. It is occasionally possible to see the birds from the road, for example in the winter months when they leave the core areas of the protected area. Sometimes the bustards stand on the side of the road, but quickly increase their distance from stopping cars and especially people getting out of cars by several hundred meters. Good optics can help you see the birds well from a greater distance without Guests from all over Europe and even from abroad visit the observation tower in the Brandenburg Great Bustard territories. disturbing them. If you adapt to the bustards, you have a good chance of experiencing the birds and their natural habitat. During the courting period the Great Bustard Conservation Foundation offers a visitors service in the exhibition of the Bird Conservation Centre in Buckow as well as guided excursions. Details can be found on the Internet site of the foundation as well as in the local media. The rangers of the Westhavelland Nature Park also offer Great Bustard tours.

42 40 State Bird Conservation Centre Buckow: the cradle of Brandenburg Great Bustard conservation 1978 marks the birth hour of the Buckow Nature Conservation Station in the Havelländisches Luch. Changes in the organization of state nature conservation, greater personal commitment, and a great deal of voluntary support have ensured that in 1979 full-time work for the protection of the Great Bustard could begin.

43 State Bird Conservation Centre 41 From the beginning the Great Bustard has been a dominant species a representative of the many other animal and plant species on farmlands that were afflicted by the intensification of agriculture. The spectrum of tasks ranged from fundamental work like research and bird censuses to practical landscape work, seminars with farmers and volunteer conservationists all the way to coordinated efforts in conservation. Founding district work groups for predatory birds or mammals helped pool voluntary commitment. International conferences for the Great Bustard were a sign of cooperation beyond country borders; two of them took place in the region that is today Brandenburg. The focus was on questions regarding the causes of the species retreat and the possible counter measures that could be done through conservation. Even during the GDR period is was possible in Westhavelland and in the Belziger Landschaftswiesen to remove several thousand hectares from intensive cultivation and introduce extensive use. For the first time it was possible to protect the habitat going far beyond the previous possibilities. Protection of species diversity on farmland from the beginning this has been the core of the Buckow Nature Conservation Station s work. Eurasian curlew (above); a field s edge in bloom (below).

44 42 State Bird Conservation Centre Stechow B 188 Rathenow Bamme Friesack L 982 L 991 Gräningen L 98 Bahnhof Nennhausen Mützlitz Nennhausen Buckow b. Nennhausen Marzahne, Brandenburg an der Havel L 991 L 982 Bus 572/574 Rathenow - Kieck Rathenow - Mützlitz Garlitz Marzahne, Brandenburg an der Havel Liepe Damme Turm Buckow Turm Garlitz Hand in Hand The political upheaval in 1989 brought new opportunities for the conservation of Great Bustards. Privatization and a new orientation of agriculture were used to improve the situation for the Great Bustard in the territories of the Havelländisches Luch, Belziger Landschaftswiesen and the Fiener Bruch in cooperation with farmers. Since 1991 this has been carried out under the auspices of the Brandenburg State Office for Environment. LIFE projects forged the preconditions for the subsequent agricultural-environmental measures and the permanent protection of the areas. This was also aided by the acquisition of land for Great Bustard conservation, supported by sponsors such as the Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt (Frankfurt Zoological Society). A foundation for the protection of the Great Bustard was established. International cooperation in research and conservation also gained tailwind. From Spain to Mongolia there is no country with Great Bustards that hasn t in the past or doesn t now take part in common activities. In 1995 an international conference on the Great Bustard took place in Brandenburg from which comprehensive proceedings were created. The first twenty years of the nature protection station are inseparably linked with the names Dr Heinz Litzbarski and Dr Bärbel Litzbarski, who were honoured for their dedication in 2011 with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In later decades Heinz Litzbarski was active as the head of the foundation for Great Bustard conservation for which he received the Nature Conservation Prize of the State of Brandenburg in 2008.

45 State Bird Conservation Centre 43 In 1998 restructuring and a fresh start. Out of the Bustard Station comes the Brandenburg State Bird Conservation Centre with the Nature Conservation Station in Baitz as satellite station. Golzow Freienthal The area of responsibility is expanded to include the entire state and a variety of new tasks are added bird conservation even outside xx farmland, conservation projects for other endangered species, the coordination of bird monitoring and bird ringing in Brandenburg, new topics such as climate change or the interplay between wind energy and bird conservation. Parallel to this was the continuing work on site. The cooperation with the farms had to be constantly reorganized under changing guidelines, not only to protect the bustards but also the farmers who are managing the Great Bustard s habitats. All this also required a reorganization of the division of labor with the foundation that took on a portion of the practical work as well as the public relations work for the conservation of the Great Bustard. The care of the Great Bustard project goes hand in hand today, not least because the foundation and the bird protection station are both located in the same place. Baitz B102 Schwanebeck Belzig Lüsse Turm Belziger Landschaftswiesen Schutzhütte am Radweg 1 Bhf. Baitz B 246 Plane Neschholz Trebitz Grömnigk Brück Leipzig Bhf. Brück (Mark) AST Linthe A9 A9 AST Beelitz Berliner Ring Linthe Treuenbrietzen Map sections and photos of the Brandenburg State Bird Conservation Centre in Buckow (left) and its satellite station in Baitz (right).

46 44 Information Additional information... Status of the Great Bustard in Europe Individual count for the 2008 breeding season Min. Max. Trend since 2004 Accuracy Spain A Russia B Portugal A Hungary A Turkey B Ukraine B Austria A Germany A Serbia A Czech Republic A Bulgaria C Moldavia C Rumania 0 8? C Slovakia A Great Britain (Reintroduction project) A Total Accuracy: A very accurate, B relatively accurate, C uncertain International cooperation in Great Bustard conservation: the Great Bustard Conservation Foundation at work on projects in Russia, Mongolia, and Spain (from left to right).

47 Information 45 National and international legal foundations European Bird Conservation Guidelines The EC Birds Directive (79/409/EWG from April 2, 1979) came into effect in It forms the legal foundation for the EU-wide protection of all native, wild bird species. It aims to conserve or restore a sufficient diversity and habitat area for the European bird species in the EU. Bonn Convention for the Conservation of Migratory Species The agreement for the protection of migratory wild animal species was signed on June 23, The agreement includes the duties of the signatory countries: measures for the worldwide protection of migratory animal species. Worldwide it is estimated that there are 8,000 to 10,000 migratory animal species. Around 1,200 species, or regionally delimited populations, are included in the agreement that are acutely threatened by extinction or whose population is under great danger. Memorandum of Understanding Agreement between several countries in the framework of the Bonn Convention, that aims to research and protect specific species or species groups. Biodiversity Convention The preservation of biological diversity is the object of this internationally binding treaty since the UN Conference for Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro. The most important goals are: the protection of biological diversity, sustainable use and, the fair division of benefits from the use of genetic resources. To this end countries must develop national strategies and action plans. In the implementation of the convention the industrialized countries are required to support the developing countries. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). International agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

48 46 Information Literature Internationaler Workshop Conservation and Management of the Great Bustard in Europe. Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege in Brandenburg 5, Heft 1/2: 120 S. (1996) BLOCK, B., P. BLOCK, W. JASCHKE, B. LITZBARSKI, H. LITZBARSKI & S. PETRICK (1993): Komplexer Artenschutz durch extensive Landwirtschaft im Rahmen des Schutzprojektes Großtrappe. Natur und Landschaft 68: EISENBERG, A., T. RYSLAVY, M. PUTZE & T. LANGGEMACH (2002): Ergebnisse der Telemetrie bei ausgewilderten Großtrappen (Otis tarda) in Brandenburg Otis 10: Eschholz, N. (1996): Großtrappen (Otis t. tarda L., 1758) in den Belziger Landschaftswiesen. Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege in Brandenburg 5, Heft 1/2: Gewalt, W. (1954): Die großen Trappen. Verlag Dietrich Reimer. Berlin. 178 S. Gewalt, W. (1959): Die Großtrappe. Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei. A. Ziemsen Verlag. Wittenberg Lutherstadt. 124 S. LANGGEMACH, T. & H. LITZBARSKI (2005): Results of Artificial Breeding in the German Great Bustard (Otis tarda) Conservation Project. Aquila 112: LITZBARSKI, B. & H. LITZBARSKI (1996): Zur Situation der Großtrappen Otis tarda in Deutschland. Vogelwelt 117: LITZBARSKI, H. & N. ESCHHOLZ (1999): Zur Bestandsentwicklung der Großtrappe (Otis tarda) in Brandenburg. Otis 7: LITZBARSKI, H. & H. WATZKE (Hrsg.) (2007): Great Bustards in Russia and Ukraine. Bustard Studies S. SCHWANDNER, J. & T. LANGGEMACH (2011): Wie viel Lebensraum bleibt der Großtrappe (Otis tarda)? Infrastruktur und Lebensraumpotenzial im westlichen Brandenburg. Ber. Vogelschutz 47/48:

49 Information 47 Internet Resources Addresses State Office of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection of the Federal State of Brandenburg Staatliche Vogelschutzwarte (Brandenburg State Bird Conservation Centre) Buckower Dorfstraße 34 D Nennhausen, Ortsteil Buckow Tel / Fax / vogelschutzwarte@lugv.brandenburg.de State Office of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection of the Federal State of Brandenburg Brandenburg State Bird Conservation Centre, satellite station Baitz Im Winkel 13 D Brück, Ortsteil Baitz Tel. / Fax / doris.block@lugv.brandenburg.de Förderverein Großtrappenschutz e. V. (Great Bustard Conservation Foundation) c./o.: Staatliche Vogelschutzwarte (Buckow) Tel / Fax / bustard@t-online.de Förderverein Großtrappenschutz e. V. (Great Bustard Conservation Foundation) Geschäftsstelle Königsroder Hof Königsrode 1 D Tucheim Tel / Landesamt für Umwelt, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz

50 48 Information Imprint Publisher Ministry of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection State of Brandenburg Heinrich-Mann-Allee Potsdam State Office of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection of the Federal State of Brandenburg Editor: Office for Environmental Information / Public Relations Seeburger Chaussee 2 D Potsdam Tel / 442 (0)-171 Fax / infoline@lugv.brandenburg.de Specialist Editing Torsten Langgemach Department of Ecology, Conservation, Water Office Ö2 Staatliche Vogelschutzwarte Buckower Dorfstraße 34 D Nennhausen, OT Buckow Tel / Fax / vogelschutzwarte@lugv.brandenburg.de We thank the Great Bustard Conservation Foundation for their support Translation Sydem Sprachdienst Fotos Title page: D. Nill B. Block (small photo) U 2 und p. 1: D. Nill U 3: F. Kovacs Archive of the Great Bustard Conservation Foundation: p. 33 bottom r. S. Bich: p. 28 T. Bich: p. 14 top B. Block: pp. 11, 14 background, 15 bottom, 17 background, 18, 20, 24 o., 25, 27, 31 o., 33 o., 34 u., 35, 36 bottom, 38 bottom, 39, 40 bottom, 41 l. and bottom P. Block: p. 30 C. Blumenstein: p. 5 J. Chobot: p. 14 bottom N. Eschholz: p. 7 N. Kraneis: p. 40 top I. Langgemach: p. 42 T. Langgemach: p. 10 H. Litzbarski: pp 9, 15 bottom, 19, 22, 31 bottom, 32 bottom, 33 bottom l., 37, 41 top r., 44 D. Nill: pp 1, 3, 4, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 26, 29 top, bottom l., 32 top., 38 top. F. Plücken: p. 24 bottom J. Teubner: p. 29 bottom center and r. Y. von Gierke: p. 34 top l. and r., 36 top Drawings: Nikolai Kraneis Design: Goscha Nowak, Berlin Second edition, As of May 2012 printed on FSC-certified paper

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52 Ministry for Environment, Health, and Consumer Protection State of Brandenburg Office of Press and Public Relations Heinrich-Mann-Allee Potsdam Tel.: 0331 / Fax: 0331 / pressestelle@ mugv.brandenburg.de State Office of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection of the Federal State of Brandenburg Office of Environmental Information, Public Relations Seeburger Chaussee Potsdam, OT Groß Glienicke Tel.: / Fax: / infoline@ lugv.brandenburg.de