Germany Special Protection Area for birds
Vogelschutzgebiet Drover Heide
168 bird species recorded; the most from May to June.
Steffen Heinz / Heidi Horst ( Caronna ( talk )) · CC BY-SA 3.0
This month here
103 species in January.111 species in February.105 species in March.111 species in April.125 species in May.120 species in June.100 species in July.103 species in August.94 species in September.85 species in October.88 species in November.99 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
NT
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
168 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).
- 168Speciesrecorded more than once
- 92Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 4ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 28,501Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 197 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 14Raptors
- 4Owls
- 6Waders
- 7Gulls & seabirds
- 25Ducks & geese
- 8Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 75Songbirds
- 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 168 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors14 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Eurasian GoshawkAccipiter gentilis
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
Waders6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
Gulls & seabirds7 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
Ducks & geese25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- GadwallMareca strepera
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Wood DuckAix sponsa
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- SmewMergellus albellus
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
Herons, ibises & grebes8 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common CraneGrus grus
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Songbirds75 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Great titParus major
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
Other birds26 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- CootFulica atra
- European SwiftApus apus
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
- Red JunglefowlGallus gallus
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- Hazel GrouseTetrastes bonasia
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- CockatielNymphicus hollandicus
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 May to June.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan2°/-2°86 mm
- Feb3°/-2°76 mm
- Mar7°/0°72 mm
- Apr12°/3°53 mm
- May16°/7°77 mm
- Jun20°/10°79 mm
- Jul22°/12°84 mm
- Aug22°/12°90 mm
- Sep18°/8°66 mm
- Oct13°/5°70 mm
- Nov7°/2°78 mm
- Dec3°/-1°90 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Vogelschutzgebiet Drover Heide.
Special protection area in the EU defined by the birds directive in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Vogelschutzgebiet Drover Heide is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Germany.
168 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 28,501 open records.
The most recorded are the Eurasian Blackbird, the Common Wood Pigeon and the Great tit.
55 species come for the summer, 37 for the winter and 0 only pass through.
4 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, European Turtle Dove and Velvet scoter.
The most species are recorded from May to June.
Get there and watch
- Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site↗
- Freizeitfreunden Rurtal e.V.campsite · 5.9 km · 17 within 10 km
- Hotel Christophorusplace to stay · 5.0 km · 50 within 10 km
- Vettweißnearest town · 3.6 km in a straight line
- Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 44 km in a straight lineCar hire at CGN airport (Köln)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
- 2observation towers within 6 km
- 16marked trails within 4 kmPanoramaweg West, Drover Heide, Rundweg Wv3 and 13 more
- 2visitor centres within 6 kmEifelverein Winden, Nationalpark-Tor Nideggen
- 8viewpoints within 5 kmEifelblick Effelsdach, Rurblick, Bördeblick Berg and 5 more
- 32car parks within 3 km
- 1restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 17campsites within 10 kmFreizeitfreunden Rurtal e.V., Wohnmobilstellplatz Danzley, Hetzinger Hof 1 and 14 more
- 50places to stay within 10 kmHotel Christophorus, Ratskeller Hotel & Restaurant, Dürener Hütte and 47 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 Drover Heide.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas144 mountains within 25 kmHill 400401 m · 8.4 kmSonnen-Berg393 m · 11 kmVerbrannter Berg516 m · 15 kmWildbretshügel525 m · 15 kmHerkelstein434 m · 20 kmStockert434 m · 21 kmDonnerberg287 m · 22 kmEigart566 m · 24 km
Lakeyas6 lakes within 15 kmNeffelsee0.6 km² · 6.2 kmTalsperre Obermaubach0.4 km² · 8.0 kmZülpicher See0.8 km² · 9.6 kmDürener Badesee0.3 km² · 11 kmRur Reservoir5.9 km² · 12 kmWehebachtalsperre1.1 km² · 14 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Vogelschutzgebiet Drover Heide
Germany
- 70Birdyas Score
- 168Species
- 92Migrants
- 4Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet Buntsandsteinfelsen im Rurtal
Germany · 4 km
- 60Birdyas Score
- 143Species
- 71Migrants
- 2Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet Kottenforst-Waldville
Germany · 38 km
- 72Birdyas Score
- 197Species
- 85Migrants
- 5Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet Kermeter-Hetzinger Wald
Germany · 14 km
- 56Birdyas Score
- 128Species
- 54Migrants
- 2Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q61040486) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 28,501 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, Darkskyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
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waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit