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Switzerland Switzerland Ramsar wetland

Le Fanel

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

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec218at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Johannesvandergeest · Public domain

This month here

144 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.

Gadwall
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorUnknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorPascal Aleixandre · CC BY-SA 3.0
Common Goldeneye
Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCalibas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Great White Egret
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCalibas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Yellow-legged Gull
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisResidentJörg Hempel · CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Mute Swan
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentGeni · CC BY-SA 4.0
Carrion Crow
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Grey Heron
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentVassilios Vescoukis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Eurasian Wigeon
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorПочта России · Public domain
Goosander
GoosanderMergus merganserResidentTony Hisgett · CC BY 2.0
Greylag Goose
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentImran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Northern Pintail
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorJ.M.Garg · CC BY-SA 3.0
Great Cormorant
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Teal
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorKoshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India · CC BY 2.0
Tundra Bean Goose
Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostrisWinter visitor邱文強 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mallard
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentTetiana.iefimenko · CC BY 4.0
Tufted Duck
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Eurasian CurlewNT
Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataResidentAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Common Gull
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentGrahamBreeze · CC BY-SA 3.0
Black-headed Gull
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentDiliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
Common PochardVU
Common PochardAythya ferinaWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Blackbird
Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentKahvilokki · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ruddy Shelduck
Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferrugineaWinter visitorDavidvraju · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

280 species, counted.

88out 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).

  • 280Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 156Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 15ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 87,401Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 429 mAltitudeabove the sea
  • 18Raptors
  • 5Owls
  • 38Waders
  • 27Gulls & seabirds
  • 39Ducks & geese
  • 20Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 3Storks & cranes
  • 1Flamingos
  • 102Songbirds
  • 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 280 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
  • Red KiteMilvus milvus
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
  • Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
  • Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • European HobbyFalco subbuteo
  • OspreyPandion haliaetus
  • White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
  • European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
  • MerlinFalco columbarius
  • Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
  • Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
  • Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
  • Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
  • Eurasian GoshawkAccipiter gentilis
Owls5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Western Barn OwlTyto alba
  • Tawny OwlStrix aluco
  • Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
  • Long-eared OwlAsio otus
  • Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
Waders38 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
  • DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
  • RuffCalidris pugnax
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
  • Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • RedshankTringa totanus
  • Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
  • Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
  • Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
  • Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
  • Little StintCalidris minuta
  • Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
  • Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
  • Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
  • SanderlingCalidris alba
  • Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
  • Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
  • Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
  • Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
  • Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
  • Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
  • Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
  • European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
  • Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
  • Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
  • Sociable PloverVanellus gregariusCR
  • Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
  • Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
  • Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
  • Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
  • Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisVU
  • Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
  • White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisVU
  • Great SnipeGallinago mediaNT
  • Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
  • Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
Gulls & seabirds27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
  • Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
  • Common TernSterna hirundo
  • Common GullLarus canus
  • Black TernChlidonias niger
  • Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
  • Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
  • Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
  • Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
  • Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
  • Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
  • Little TernSternula albifrons
  • Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
  • White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
  • Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
  • Great skuaStercorarius skua
  • European Herring GullLarus argentatus
  • Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
  • Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
  • Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
  • Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
  • Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
  • Long-tailed SkuaStercorarius longicaudus
  • Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
  • Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
  • Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
  • Common LoonGavia immer
Ducks & geese39 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Mute SwanCygnus olor
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  • Greylag GooseAnser anser
  • GoosanderMergus merganser
  • Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
  • GadwallMareca strepera
  • Eurasian TealAnas crecca
  • Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
  • Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
  • Northern PintailAnas acuta
  • Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
  • Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
  • Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
  • Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
  • Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
  • Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
  • GarganeySpatula querquedula
  • Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
  • Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
  • Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
  • Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
  • Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
  • Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
  • SmewMergellus albellus
  • Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii
  • Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
  • Greater ScaupAythya marila
  • Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
  • Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
  • Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
  • Canada GooseBranta canadensis
  • Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
  • Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
  • Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
  • Brent GooseBranta bernicla
  • Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
  • White-faced Whistling-duckDendrocygna viduata
  • Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
  • Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
Herons, ibises & grebes20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • 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
  • Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
  • Purple heronArdea purpurea
  • Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
  • Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
  • Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
  • Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
  • African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
  • Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
  • Little BitternIxobrychus minutus
  • Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
  • Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
  • Microcarbo pygmaeusMicrocarbo pygmaeus
  • Great White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalus
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common CraneGrus grus
  • White StorkCiconia ciconia
  • Black storkCiconia nigra
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds102 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Carrion CrowCorvus corone
  • Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
  • White WagtailMotacilla alba
  • Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
  • Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  • Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
  • Great titParus major
  • House SparrowPasser domesticus
  • BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
  • Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
  • Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
  • European RobinErithacus rubecula
  • European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
  • European GreenfinchChloris chloris
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
  • Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
  • Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
  • Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
  • Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
  • Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
  • YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
  • Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
  • Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
  • Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
  • Eurasian MagpiePica pica
  • Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
  • Marsh TitPoecile palustris
  • Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
  • Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
  • Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
  • Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
  • European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
  • Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
  • SkylarkAlauda arvensis
  • Sand MartinRiparia riparia
  • Garden WarblerSylvia borin
  • Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
  • European SerinSerinus serinus
  • Northern RavenCorvus corax
  • RookCorvus frugilegus
  • Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
  • Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
  • Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
  • Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
  • FieldfareTurdus pilaris
  • Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
  • Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
  • Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
  • Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
  • Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
  • Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
  • GoldcrestRegulus regulus
  • European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
  • Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
  • WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
  • Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
  • Western JackdawColoeus monedula
  • Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
  • WhitethroatSylvia communis
  • HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
  • Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
  • Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
  • Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
  • Coal TitPeriparus ater
  • Willow TitPoecile montanus
  • Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
  • Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
  • BramblingFringilla montifringilla
  • DunnockPrunella modularis
  • Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
  • RedwingTurdus iliacus
  • Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
  • Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
  • European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
  • BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
  • Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
  • BluethroatLuscinia svecica
  • Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
  • Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
  • Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
  • Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
  • Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
  • Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
  • Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
  • Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
  • Blyth’s Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorum
  • Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
  • Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
  • Collared FlycatcherFicedula albicollis
  • Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
  • African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
  • Booted WarblerIduna caligata
  • Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
  • Aquatic WarblerAcrocephalus paludicolaVU
  • Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
  • White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus
  • Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
  • Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
  • Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
  • Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinus
  • Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
Other birds27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • CootFulica atra
  • Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
  • Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
  • Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
  • European Water RailRallus aquaticus
  • Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
  • Common CuckooCuculus canorus
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • European SwiftApus apus
  • Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
  • Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
  • Stock DoveColumba oenas
  • Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
  • Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
  • WryneckJynx torquilla
  • European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
  • Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
  • Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
  • Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
  • Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
  • Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
  • Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
  • Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
  • Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
  • Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
  • Porzana parvaPorzana parva
  • European RollerCoracias garrulus

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. Jan1442°/-4°85 mm
  2. Feb1443°/-4°66 mm
  3. Mar1677°/-1°86 mm
  4. Apr21812°/3°83 mm
  5. May21216°/7°124 mm
  6. Jun17820°/12°112 mm
  7. Jul17122°/13°113 mm
  8. Aug18422°/13°118 mm
  9. Sep19618°/9°83 mm
  10. Oct18313°/5°100 mm
  11. Nov1417°/0°85 mm
  12. Dec1392°/-3°96 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Le Fanel.

Fenland of national importance in Gampelen, Ins (BE) and La Tène (NE), Switzerland

Le Fanel is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Switzerland, 429 m above the sea.

280 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 87,401 open records.

The most recorded are the Yellow-legged Gull, the Carrion Crow and the Grey Heron.

95 species come for the summer, 58 for the winter and 3 only pass through.

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

The most species are recorded from April to May.

Fanel-vogelinseln
Johannesvandergeest · Public domain

Get there and watch

  • Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site
  • Naturistengelände Thielle - die neue zeitcampsite · 3.0 km · 38 within 10 km
  • Hotel Restaurant Kreuzplace to stay · 5.3 km · 65 within 10 km
  • Marin-Epagniernearest town · 4.6 km in a straight line
  • Bern Airport (BRN)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 35 km in a straight lineCar hire at BRN airport (Bern)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.

Le Fanel 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

  • 6bird hides within 6 kmGamshoger, Observatoire du Martin-pêcheur, Observatoire du Castor and 3 more
  • 3observation towers within 6 kmBerner Turm, Tour romande
  • 34marked trails within 4 kmChemin des Trois-Lacs, Trans Swiss Trail, La Sauge – Cudrefin and 31 more
  • 1visitor centres within 6 kmVully Tourisme
  • 11viewpoints within 5 kmRoches de Châtollion, St.Jodel and 9 more
  • 56car parks within 3 km
  • 9restaurants and cafés within 3 km
  • 38campsites within 10 kmNaturistengelände Thielle - die neue zeit, Stellplatz Les Fourches, Stellplatz Nid-du-Crô and 35 more
  • 65places to stay within 10 kmHotel Restaurant Kreuz, Cheval Blanc, Hôtel de la gare and 62 more

Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.

In our other atlases

Around Le Fanel.

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

Peakyas43 mountains within 25 km
Mont d'Amin1,417 m · 15 kmChasseral Ouest1,552 m · 16 kmTête de Ran1,422 m · 17 kmChasseral1,607 m · 17 kmMont Racine1,439 m · 18 kmMont Sujet1,382 m · 19 kmGrand Som Martel1,337 m · 23 kmCreux du Van1,232 m · 25 km
Darkskyas3 dark-sky places within 30 km
Cantonal observatory of NeuchâtelBortle 5 · 7.2 kmObservatoire Astronomique de Mont-SoleilBortle 3 · 21 kmÉpendes ObservatoryBortle 5 · 26 km
Cavernyas2 caves within 20 km
La Baume du Four · 18 kmCotencher, Palaeolithic residential cave · 18 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.

LaMarcheBleue-J16-1-LaTène-Cudrefin-22
MHM55 · CC BY-SA 4.0
LaMarcheBleue-J16-1-LaTène-Cudrefin-27
MHM55 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Other places nearby.

Le Fanel

Switzerland

  • 88Birdyas Score
  • 280Species
  • 156Migrants
  • 15Threatened

Niederriedsee

Switzerland · 15 km

  • 72Birdyas Score
  • 185Species
  • 83Migrants
  • 5Threatened

See the guide

Les Grangettes

Switzerland · 66 km

  • 82Birdyas Score
  • 254Species
  • 131Migrants
  • 7Threatened

See the guide

Klingnauer Stausee

Switzerland · 112 km

  • 88Birdyas Score
  • 255Species
  • 136Migrants
  • 11Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q1395495) · CC0
Birds87,401 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, Darkskyas, Canyonyas, Cavernyas

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.