Germany Special Protection Area for birds
Vogelschutzgebiet Königsforst
125 bird species recorded; the most in May.
Rennboot · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
This month here
85 species in January.59 species in February.68 species in March.76 species in April.109 species in May.88 species in June.67 species in July.51 species in August.60 species in September.45 species in October.30 species in November.52 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
125 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).
- 125Speciesrecorded more than once
- 47Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 1ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 9,131Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 158 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 9Raptors
- 3Owls
- 2Waders
- 1Gulls & seabirds
- 8Ducks & geese
- 5Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 74Songbirds
- 20Other 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 125 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Eurasian GoshawkAccipiter gentilis
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
Owls3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
Waders2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
Gulls & seabirds1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
Ducks & geese8 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- GadwallMareca strepera
Herons, ibises & grebes5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common CraneGrus grus
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Songbirds74 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Northern NutcrackerNucifraga caryocatactes
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
Other birds20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- European SwiftApus apus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
- Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- CootFulica atra
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- Alexandrine ParakeetPsittacula eupatria
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in May.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan4°/-1°74 mm
- Feb6°/-1°62 mm
- Mar10°/1°59 mm
- Apr15°/4°44 mm
- May19°/8°64 mm
- Jun22°/12°68 mm
- Jul25°/14°75 mm
- Aug24°/14°79 mm
- Sep20°/10°57 mm
- Oct15°/6°61 mm
- Nov9°/3°70 mm
- Dec5°/0°77 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Vogelschutzgebiet Königsforst.
Special protection area in the EU defined by the birds directive in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Vogelschutzgebiet Königsforst is a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive in Germany.
125 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 9,131 open records.
The most recorded are the Common Crane, the Great tit and the Eurasian Blackbird.
31 species come for the summer, 13 for the winter and 3 only pass through.
1 are threatened worldwide, including European Turtle Dove.
The most species are recorded in May.
Get there and watch
- Campinggemeinschaft Rösrath 1973 e.V.campsite · 3.5 km · 20 within 10 km
- Forsbacher Mühleplace to stay · 0.9 km · 90 within 10 km
- Rösrathnearest town · 3.8 km in a straight line
- Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 7 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
- 54marked trails within 4 kmKölnpfad, [<13] Wanderweg 13 des KEV [Bergisch-Gladbach], Rund um Bergisch Gladbach-Herkenrath and 51 more
- 4visitor centres within 6 kmRVK-KundenCenter GLmobil Bensberg, DB Reisezentrum and 2 more
- 27viewpoints within 5 kmGrube Cox, Köln + Flughafen Panorama, Nostalgische Aussicht and 24 more
- 300car parks within 3 km
- 17restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 20campsites within 10 kmCampinggemeinschaft Rösrath 1973 e.V., Immekeppler Teich, Camping Sülztal and 17 more
- 90places to stay within 10 kmForsbacher Mühle, Lehmbacher Hof, Hotel Neo and 87 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers 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 Königsforst.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas58 mountains within 25 kmTütberg212 m · 2.0 kmLüderich260 m · 2.5 kmKleiner Heck-Berg348 m · 15 kmHeckberg383 m · 17 kmImmer-Kopf364 m · 21 kmHohe Warte360 m · 21 kmStachel-Berg209 m · 22 kmRabenlay180 m · 24 km
Lakeyas4 lakes within 15 kmHöhenfelder See0.2 km² · 10 kmWeilerhofer See0.2 km² · 13 kmStockemer See0.2 km² · 14 kmRotter See0.2 km² · 14 km
Darkskyas4 dark-sky places within 30 kmPlanetarium KölnBortle 8 · 16 kmAlte SternwarteBortle 8 · 23 kmBergisch Gladbach ObservatoryBortle 4 · 28 kmGalileum SolingenBortle 7 · 29 km
Cavernyas1 caves within 20 kmZwergenhöhle · 9.2 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 Königsforst
Germany
- 52Birdyas Score
- 125Species
- 47Migrants
- 1Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet Kottenforst-Waldville
Germany · 28 km
- 72Birdyas Score
- 197Species
- 85Migrants
- 5Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet Wahner Heide
Germany · 5 km
- 60Birdyas Score
- 145Species
- 67Migrants
- 2Threatened
Vogelschutzgebiet 'Unterer Niederrhein'
Germany · 95 km
- 86Birdyas Score
- 211Species
- 99Migrants
- 9Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q61040471) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 9,131 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, 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.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
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