Wahner Heide bird sanctuary

	EU bird sanctuary ; "Wahner Heide"
location	Cologne , Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis and Rhein-Sieg-Kreis , North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany
Identifier	5108-401
WDPA ID	555537611
Natura 2000 ID	DE5108401
Bird sanctuary	30.394 km²
Geographical location	50 ° 54 ' N , 7 ° 7' E Coordinates: 50 ° 53 '58 " N , 7 ° 7' 4" E
Setup date	1999
administration	Regional Council Cologne and State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia in Recklinghausen

The Wahner Heide bird sanctuary is an area of 3040 hectares in the Wahner Heide , which belongs to the Rheinisch-Bergisches Kreis , the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis and the city of Cologne .

description

The bird sanctuary contains a high proportion of lean sites, especially in the two larger heather areas that have already been reopened, the Geisterbusch in the northeast and the southern heath stretching transversely from east to west, also due to the military use that has lasted over 180 years, numerous endangered plants and Provide a habitat for animal species. These heathland areas as well as small, mostly well-preserved heather bogs are embedded in a wide belt of old oak forests and star chickweed-oak-hornbeam forests, some of which are in an excellent state of preservation, which are replaced by Hainsimsen-beech forest in the east on the Bergische edge heights. In the southern third of the area crosses the Scheuerbach valley, which is covered with moor forest and alder forests.

In the southeastern tip of the Aggeraue, the backwaters with alder-ash and willow forests as well as oak-ash-elm forests and lowland hay meadows make up the value of the area and thus increase the diversity of the heathland. In the northeast the Königsforst joins with its oak and beech forests.

Bird protection

Breeding birds here are the kingfisher , the goat milker , the red-backed killer , the woodlark , the honey buzzard , the middle woodpecker , the gray woodpecker and the black woodpecker .

Migration and winter guests are the peregrine falcon , hen harrier , red kite and crane .

Landscape protection

The preservation and restoration of large areas of heather as well as lean sand and bristle grass lawns through de-bushing, mowing and grazing with heather sheep , goats and cattle is one of the most important measures against the advancing forestation. It is also important to rewet and remove bushes from the heather bogs and restore a 5 hectare bog that has been filled in. The plan is to connect the heather areas in the Wahner Heide nature reserve with the extensive heather areas at Cologne / Bonn Airport .

Web links

Map (PDF; 891 kB)
"Wahner Heide" nature reserve in the specialist information system of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia