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Germany Germany Special Protection Area for birds

Altmühltal mit Brunst-Schwaigau und Altmühlsee

262 bird species recorded; the most from April to May.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec205at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Mkummerer · CC BY-SA 3.0

This month here

115 species in January.

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.

Goosander
GoosanderMergus merganserWinter visitorTony Hisgett · CC BY 2.0
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian MagpiePica picaResidentAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Eurasian Jay
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusWinter visitorZeynel Cebeci · CC BY-SA 4.0
Eurasian Blackbird
Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentKahvilokki · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great tit
Great titParus majorResidentPeterRohrbeck · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great White Egret
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCalibas · CC BY-SA 3.0
European Robin
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Greylag Goose
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentImran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Carrion Crow
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Eurasian Blue Tit
Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentSławek Staszczuk · CC BY-SA 3.0
Greater White-fronted Goose
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorFrank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hen Harrier
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusWinter visitorKositoes · Public domain
Mallard
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentTetiana.iefimenko · CC BY 4.0
Eurasian Siskin
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Buzzard
Common BuzzardButeo buteoResidentcaroline legg · CC BY 2.0
Yellowhammer
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaWinter visitorÓmar Runólfsson · CC BY 2.0
Bullfinch
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaWinter visitorFrancis C. Franklin · CC BY-SA 3.0
European Greenfinch
European GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Nuthatch
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaWinter visitorChme82 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Kestrel
Common KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Common PochardVU
Common PochardAythya ferinaWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0
Grey Heron
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentVassilios Vescoukis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great Cormorant
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentMatt Tillett from Cumberland, MD, USA · CC BY 2.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

262 species, counted.

87out of 100

Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).

  • 262Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 158Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 12ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 53,117Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 414 mAltitudeabove the sea
  • 18Raptors
  • 4Owls
  • 36Waders
  • 21Gulls & seabirds
  • 47Ducks & geese
  • 19Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 3Storks & cranes
  • 1Flamingos
  • 86Songbirds
  • 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 262 species.

By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.

Raptors18 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common BuzzardButeo buteo
  • Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
  • Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
  • OspreyPandion haliaetus
  • White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
  • Red KiteMilvus milvus
  • Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
  • Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • European HobbyFalco subbuteo
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Eurasian GoshawkAccipiter gentilis
  • European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
  • MerlinFalco columbarius
  • Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
  • Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
  • Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
  • Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
  • Long-eared OwlAsio otus
  • Tawny OwlStrix aluco
  • Western Barn OwlTyto alba
Waders36 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
  • Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
  • RuffCalidris pugnax
  • Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
  • Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
  • Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • RedshankTringa totanus
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
  • Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
  • Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
  • Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
  • Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
  • Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
  • Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
  • Little StintCalidris minuta
  • Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
  • Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
  • European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
  • Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
  • Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
  • Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
  • Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
  • SanderlingCalidris alba
  • Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
  • Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
  • Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
  • Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
  • Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
  • Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
  • Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
  • Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
  • Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
  • Sociable PloverVanellus gregariusCR
  • Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
Gulls & seabirds21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
  • Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
  • Black TernChlidonias niger
  • Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
  • Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
  • Common TernSterna hirundo
  • Common GullLarus canus
  • Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
  • Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
  • Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
  • White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
  • Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
  • Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
  • European Herring GullLarus argentatus
  • Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
  • Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
  • Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
  • Common LoonGavia immer
  • Little TernSternula albifrons
  • Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
  • Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
Ducks & geese47 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Greylag GooseAnser anser
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  • Mute SwanCygnus olor
  • Canada GooseBranta canadensis
  • GadwallMareca strepera
  • Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
  • Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
  • Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
  • Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
  • Eurasian TealAnas crecca
  • GoosanderMergus merganser
  • Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
  • Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
  • Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
  • GarganeySpatula querquedula
  • Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
  • Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
  • Northern PintailAnas acuta
  • Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
  • Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
  • Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
  • Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
  • Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
  • SmewMergellus albellus
  • Black swanCygnus atratus
  • Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
  • Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
  • Lesser white-fronted gooseAnser erythropusVU
  • Marbled TealMarmaronetta angustirostrisNT
  • Cape Barren GooseCereopsis novaehollandiae
  • Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
  • Greater ScaupAythya marila
  • Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii
  • Ruddy-headed GooseChloephaga rubidiceps
  • Ross's GooseAnser rossii
  • Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
  • Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
  • Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
  • Cape ShelduckTadorna cana
  • Maned DuckChenonetta jubata
  • Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
  • Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
  • Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
  • White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
  • Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
  • Brent GooseBranta bernicla
  • Raja ShelduckRadjah radjah
Herons, ibises & grebes19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • Grey HeronArdea cinerea
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
  • Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
  • Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
  • Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
  • Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
  • Purple heronArdea purpurea
  • Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
  • Pink-backed PelicanPelecanus rufescens
  • Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
  • Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
  • Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
  • African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
  • Little BitternIxobrychus minutus
  • Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • White StorkCiconia ciconia
  • Common CraneGrus grus
  • Black storkCiconia nigra
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds86 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
  • Eurasian MagpiePica pica
  • Carrion CrowCorvus corone
  • Great titParus major
  • Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
  • White WagtailMotacilla alba
  • Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  • Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
  • Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
  • FieldfareTurdus pilaris
  • BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
  • European RobinErithacus rubecula
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
  • Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
  • Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
  • European GreenfinchChloris chloris
  • Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
  • Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
  • European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
  • House SparrowPasser domesticus
  • Western JackdawColoeus monedula
  • YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
  • Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
  • Willow TitPoecile montanus
  • Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
  • Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
  • SkylarkAlauda arvensis
  • Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
  • Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
  • Garden WarblerSylvia borin
  • Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
  • Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
  • BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
  • Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
  • BluethroatLuscinia svecica
  • Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
  • HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
  • WhitethroatSylvia communis
  • Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
  • Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
  • Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
  • Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
  • DunnockPrunella modularis
  • Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
  • Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
  • Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
  • Marsh TitPoecile palustris
  • Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
  • Northern RavenCorvus corax
  • Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
  • Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
  • Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
  • Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
  • WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
  • Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
  • Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
  • European SerinSerinus serinus
  • Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
  • RedwingTurdus iliacus
  • Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
  • Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
  • BramblingFringilla montifringilla
  • Sand MartinRiparia riparia
  • GoldcrestRegulus regulus
  • Coal TitPeriparus ater
  • Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
  • Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
  • Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
  • Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
  • European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
  • Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
  • RookCorvus frugilegus
  • European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
  • European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
  • Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
  • WoodlarkLullula arborea
  • Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
  • Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
  • Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
  • Thrush NightingaleLuscinia luscinia
  • Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
  • Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
  • Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
  • Eurasian River WarblerLocustella fluviatilis
  • Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
Other birds27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • CootFulica atra
  • Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
  • Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
  • Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
  • Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
  • Common CuckooCuculus canorus
  • Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
  • Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
  • European Water RailRallus aquaticus
  • European SwiftApus apus
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
  • Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
  • Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
  • WryneckJynx torquilla
  • Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
  • Stock DoveColumba oenas
  • Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
  • Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
  • Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
  • Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
  • Corncrake, corn crakeCrex crex
  • Porzana parvaPorzana parva
  • Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
  • Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
  • European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
  • Red JunglefowlGallus gallus

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.

  1. Jan1152°/-4°59 mm
  2. Feb1214°/-4°43 mm
  3. Mar1599°/-1°49 mm
  4. Apr19814°/3°44 mm
  5. May20518°/8°85 mm
  6. Jun17722°/12°74 mm
  7. Jul16124°/13°87 mm
  8. Aug17124°/13°81 mm
  9. Sep16619°/8°56 mm
  10. Oct16014°/4°56 mm
  11. Nov1317°/0°56 mm
  12. Dec1323°/-3°60 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Altmühltal mit Brunst-Schwaigau und Altmühlsee.

Special protection area in the EU defined by the birds directive in Bavaria, Germany

Altmühltal mit Brunst-Schwaigau und Altmühlsee is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Germany, 414 m above the sea.

262 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 53,117 open records.

The most recorded are the Greylag Goose, the Great White Egret and the Grey Heron.

99 species come for the summer, 57 for the winter and 2 only pass through.

12 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, Grey Plover and Curlew Sandpiper.

The most species are recorded from April to May.

Altmühlsee12
Mkummerer · CC BY-SA 3.0

Get there and watch

  • Familienzeltplatz Seezentrum Muhr am Seecampsite · 3.0 km · 12 within 10 km
  • Gästehaus Karlplace to stay · 4.7 km · 123 within 10 km
  • Muhr am Seenearest town · 2.2 km in a straight line
  • Nuremberg Airport (NUE)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 47 km in a straight lineCar hire at NUE airport (Nuremberg)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.

Altmühltal mit Brunst-Schwaigau und Altmühlsee seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Seen from above: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 (EOX, CC BY 4.0), 6 × 6 km, north up. Points © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Around, in OpenStreetMap

  • 1observation towers within 6 kmBeobachtungsturm Vogelinsel
  • 6marked trails within 4 kmTheodor-Bauer-Weg, Rangau-Randweg, Main-Donau-Weg (Querverbindung Feuchtwangen – Pappenheim) and 3 more
  • 5visitor centres within 6 kmTouristbüro Altmühlsee, Bildungszentrum Triesdorf, Zweckverband Altmühltal and 2 more
  • 8viewpoints within 5 kmBeobachtungsturm Vogelinsel and 7 more
  • 40car parks within 3 km
  • 9restaurants and cafés within 3 km
  • 12campsites within 10 kmFamilienzeltplatz Seezentrum Muhr am See, Stellplatz Muhr am See, Campingplatz "Zum Fischer-Michl" and 9 more
  • 123places to stay within 10 kmGästehaus Karl, Sammeth-Bräu, Landgasthof Schnackensee and 120 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 Altmühltal mit Brunst-Schwaigau und Altmühlsee.

The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.

Peakyas170 mountains within 25 km
Spielberg645 m · 14 kmGelber Berg628 m · 14 kmRechenberg630 m · 16 kmDürrenberg656 m · 17 kmHörlesbuck635 m · 18 kmEfferaberg645 m · 20 kmHungerberg601 m · 23 kmGehäubichel631 m · 23 km
Lakeyas2 lakes within 15 km
Altmühlsee3.9 km² · 4.0 kmKleiner Brombachsee2.2 km² · 14 km
Riveryasthe river nearby
Altmühl227 kmWissinger Laber127 kmHüttenbach

Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.

Photographs

The place, as people saw it.

Altmuhlsee charm
Aleksandra Polewka · CC BY-SA 4.0
Altmühlsee Vogelschutzgebiet 1
F. Goerg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Altmühlsee Vogelschutzgebiet 2
F. Goerg · CC BY-SA 4.0

Other places nearby.

Altmühltal mit Brunst-Schwaigau und Altmühlsee

Germany

  • 87Birdyas Score
  • 262Species
  • 158Migrants
  • 12Threatened

Lech-Donau-Winkel

Germany · 53 km

  • 78Birdyas Score
  • 216Species
  • 123Migrants
  • 6Threatened

See the guide

Tierstein mit Hangwald und Egerquelle

Germany · 44 km

  • 70Birdyas Score
  • 184Species
  • 105Migrants
  • 3Threatened

See the guide

Donauried

Germany · 81 km

  • 77Birdyas Score
  • 219Species
  • 124Migrants
  • 6Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q23702370) · CC0
Birds53,117 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
See these recordsgbif.org
SpeciesGBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons
AltitudeCopernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA
Temperature and rainNASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2)
What is around© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons
Sister atlasesPeakyas, Lakeyas, Canyonyas, Riveryas

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.