Archives

The great reed warbler Measuring 19-20 cm in length, this bird likes to breed in the reeds, and feeds off insects. It belongs to the warbler family, and lives on lakes, streams and in wetlands. Great reed warblers spend the winter in central and southern Africa, returning to the breeding... Continue reading

Common Tern The Common Tern is the most common tern on Lake Constance. It occurs here as a breeding bird (eg on the breeding livestock in the Rhine delta) and migrant. She spends the winter in Africa. Common Terns feed on small fish, which they usually capture by "plunge diving".... Continue reading

The Eurasian curiew (Numenious arquata) ... is a short-distance, diurnal and nocturnal migrant The Eurasian curlew measures 50 – 60 cm, is a ground- breeder, and feeds on insects and worms. It belongs to the snipe family, and can be found in wetlands, around lakes, streams and on cultivated land.... Continue reading

The red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) ... is a sedentary bird, and short-distance and nocturnal migrant Measuring 53-57 cm in length, the red-crested pochard broods in Asia and, increasingly over the last decades, also in Europe, by shallow bodies of water rich in vegetation. Around 10 breeding pairs have been counted... Continue reading

The great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) ... is a short-distance and nocturnal migrant Measuring 46 – 51 cm in length, the great crested grebe is not exactly small. It broods on floating nests, and feeds of fish. This bird, which belongs to the grebe family, can be found at lakes... Continue reading

The black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) ... is a short-distance, diurnal and nocturnal migrant This bird, measuring 34-37 cm in length, likes breeding on the ground, and feeds of worms, fish, insects, fruit and waste. The black-headed gull belongs to the gull family, and can be found be lakes, streams, in... Continue reading

The northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) ... is a short-distance migrant Measuring 28 – 31 cm in length, the northern lapwing is roughly the same size as a pigeon. It breeds in treeless, sparsely vegetated areas, feeding primarily off insects and worms. These birds, which belong to the plover family, can... Continue reading

The whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) ... is a short-distance, diurnal and nocturnal migrant This bird measures between 140 and 160 cm from beak to tail, with a wing span of between 205 and 235 cm. It breeds on northern tundra and woodland lakes, and feeds on plants. Whooper swans spend... Continue reading

The great egret (Egretta alba) ... is a short-distance and diurnal migrant Egrets belong to the ciconiiformes family. The great egret (also known the great white heron) measures 85 – 100 cm in size, similar to the grey heron, and has a wing span of 143 – 169cm. It breeds... Continue reading

The Eurasian wigeon (Anas Penelope) ... is a long-distance and nocturnal migrant The Eurasian wigeon measures 42-50 cm in length, broods on the ground, and feeds almost exclusively off plants. Its habitats are wetlands, lakes, streams and cultivated land in northern Eurasia, from Iceland to Kamchatka. This bird is considered... Continue reading