Native Birds Of Germany

Germany is a country found in the West-Central Europe extending from The Alps to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Germany is subdivided into two main ecological regions while the majority of the country is arable land. Plants and animals of Germany are common to middle Europe. Germany has several national parks and game reserves which host thousands of flora and fauna species. The diverse landscape and favorable climate offer a wide variety of birding in the country. Germany has more than 200 species of birds within its territory. These species also include birds introduced from other countries.

Native Birds Of Germany

Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)

Northern Fulmar is a seabird found in the subarctic regions. It comes in two colors: light color with white head and body with gray wings and tails, and a dark color which is uniformly gray. Northern Fulmar has a nasal passage attached to the upper bill called naricorn. The walking ability of Northern Fulmar is limited, but it is a strong flying bird with a stiff wing action. It has a short, sturdy bill and usually lives for long with a lifespan of over 30 years. Northern Fulmar starts breeding between 6 and 12 years old.

Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)

Lapland Longspur is a bird in the family longspur. It is distributed across Eurasia and parts of North America. Lapland Longspur is a migratory bird which winters in Russian Steppe. The bird has a thick yellow speed eater's bill. The male Lapland Longspur has a black head and throat with white eye stripe and white underparts. Lapland Longspur breeds in wet areas and bare mountains. During winter the bird feeds on seeds picked from the ground. The seeds are mainly from grass, wheat, and ploughed millet. Its diet during breeding season consists of arthropods supplemented by seeds. The insects are caught midair but also forages if the conditions are not favorable for the insects to fly.

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

European Bee-eater is mainly found in South Europe and North Africa. It is a migratory bird which winters in tropical Africa. The bird is a richly-colored slim bird with brown and yellow upper parts. The bird has green wings and a black beak. The male and female are alike, but the female tends to have greener feathers on the shoulder rather than the golden brown. As the name suggests, European bee-eater feeds on insects like bees, and wasps. It nests near river banks at the beginning of May.

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

Meadow Pipit is a passerine bird which breeds in northwestern Eurasia. It is a migratory bird which winters in Southern Europe. Meadow pipit is brown with a brown tail and a thin bill. It occurs in the relatively uncultivated land but also in arable cropland. Meadow pipit feeds primarily on insects and other invertebrates.

Threats

The population of most of the native bird's species in Germany is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN because of their wide distribution and population. However, destruction of habitat is a major threat to these species, especially the non-migratory species. Birds are also considered disease and pest carriers and as such might leave a trail of destruction in an area.