Zwillbrocker Venn
|
Zwillbrocker Venn
|
||
 Flamingos in the Zwillbrocker Venn. |
||
| location | Vreden , district of Borken , NRW , Germany | |
| surface | 176 ha | |
| Identifier | BOR-008 | |
| WDPA ID | 7103 | |
| Natura 2000 ID | [http://www.naturschutzinformationen-nrw.de/natura2000-meldedok/de/fachinfo/listen/meldedok/DE-3906-301 DE-3906-301 , DE-3807-401 DE-3906-301 , DE-3807 -401 ] | |
| FFH area | 245 ha (also includes the neighboring NSG Ellewicker Feld ) | |
| Bird sanctuary | 23.24 km² (in total with neighboring moor areas) | |
| Geographical location | 52 ° 3 ' N , 6 ° 42' E | |
|
||
| Sea level | from 29 m to 39 m ( ø 35 m) | |
| Setup date | 1938 | |
| administration | Biological station Zwillbrock | |
| particularities | World's northernmost breeding ground for flamingos ; EU bird sanctuary " moors and heaths of the western Münsterland " | |
The Zwillbrocker Venn is a forest , moor , wet meadow and water area in the Borken district in North Rhine-Westphalia , right on the border with the Netherlands . As early as 1938, parts of the area were designated as a nature reserve.
Geography and history
The Zwillbrocker Venn is located in the Münsterland west of Vreden near the district of Zwillbrock and arose from a raised bog . After the peat mining ended, a lake remained with a shallow depth, which is now home to a diverse flora and fauna.
The Zwillbrocker Venn is also an ancient settlement area: Archeological finds indicate groups of hunters and gatherers on the edge of the Venn during the end of the Paleolithic Age (approx. 10,000 BC).
Wildlife
The Zwillbrocker Venn is the largest inland black-headed gull colony in Germany (approx. 16,000 animals) and the northernmost breeding site for flamingos worldwide (approx. 40 animals). While the seagulls can be found in the Zwillbrocker Venn all year round, the flamingos are drawn to southwestern Holland in the winter months .
Flamingos in the Zwillbrocker Venn
The species Greater Flamingo ( Phoenicopterus roseus ), Cuban Flamingo ( Phoenicopterus ruber ) and Chileflamingo ( Phoenicopterus chilensis ) occur in the Zwillbrocker Venn . The greater flamingo occurs naturally in South Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia and South Asia, the Cuban flamingo in the Caribbean and South America and the Chilean flamingo in South America. In 1970 two flamingos of unknown species were observed for the first time in the Fens. In the next few years there were further individual observations. In 1982 six Chilean flamingos settled in the Fens and built nests. There was no breeding success. In 1983, twelve chile flamingos appeared in the spring and two young birds hatched for the first time. One young bird perished and the other young bird was taken to a zoo, as it was assumed that it would not be able to fledge under the environmental conditions of Central Europe. In 1985, three young birds were shipped to animal parks, while one was allowed to fly out in nature. From 1983 to 1989 a total of 13 young birds were brought to animal parks. In 1986 the greater flamingo belonged to the flamingo colony for the first time. Since 1993 young birds of the greater flamingo have also fledged. The Cuban flamingo first appeared in the colony in 1994. There have always been successful mixed breeds of Chileflamingo x Greater Flamingo and Greater Flamingo x Cuba Flamingo. Whereby there was usually only one bird of the Cuban flamingo in the colony. In 2006 the Lesser Flamingo ( Phoeniconaias minor ) was first recorded in the colony. Until 2010, only individual birds of the Lesser Flamingo were observed that were not involved in the breeding business. Since 1989, including young birds, there have been 26 to 40 flamingos per year in the colony.
Between 1993 and 2006, six to 17 breeding pairs of flamingos were counted in the Fens each year. The third generation of flamingos has now bred in the colony. From 1983 to 1995 there were juveniles in the colony every year. From 1996 to 2000 all broods were unsuccessful due to predation by predatory mammals - mostly probably by the red fox . The predatory mammals were able to reach the breeding island from 1996 because of the siltation in the lake. Since 2001 there has been breeding success again, as optimal breeding site conditions were created by regulating the water level in the lake and building an electric fence. From 1983 to 2005, 177 nests were built and 72 young birds fledged. 40.7% of the young birds in the colony fledged. This is roughly the same as colonies elsewhere in the world. Up to 2005, one to eight young birds fledged each year.
The colony's young birds have been ringed since 1987. From 1995 onwards, 5.5 cm high plastic rings with a code were used. These code rings can be read with binoculars and provide precise data on individual animals.
After leaving the Fens in autumn, rest areas such as the IJsselmeer , Veluwemeer and Oostvaardersplassen are visited. The wintering area is the Volkerakmeer in the Rhine-Maas Delta . Initially, the young birds are still fed by their parents. Depending on the weather conditions, the flamingos return to the Fens from the end of February to the beginning of March. In severe winters, however, they don't return to the area until the beginning of April. The subadults (birds that were hatched in the previous year) usually stay in the wintering area and only return to the colony as adults.
The flamingos in the Fens live from the plankton in the lake. Because of the droppings from several thousand black-headed gulls breeding there, there is enough plankton for the flamingos. The flamingos of the colony also show the same red color of the plumage as in other colonies.
The exact origin of the various flamingos could never be determined. It is assumed that the chile flamingos, lesser flamingos and Cuba flamingos are escaped from animal holdings ( captive refugees ), since wild flamingos of these species do not migrate to Europe. Some of the greater flamingos in the colony could be wild birds from southern Europe.
The flamingos have become the main attraction and popular figure of the Zwillbrocker Venns. Various media have repeatedly reported on the flamingo colony. It is a unique selling point for the region and is used as a marketing label. Shirts, mugs, etc. with flamingo motifs are sold in the region.
Central lake in the Zwillbrocker Venn
Group of chile flamingos seen from the east bank
Greater flamingo from the east bank
Chilean flamingos seen from the west bank
tourism
The 176 hectare Zwillbrocker Venn is classified as part of the nature reserve "Zwillbrocker Venn" and bird sanctuary " Moore und Heiden des western Münsterland " and together with the baroque church of St. Franziskus from the 18th century in the town of Zwillbrock is a popular tourist destination. The Venn can be explored on the approximately six-kilometer circular hiking trail with three observation huts. The viewing platforms offer a good view of the animal world.
The Biological Station Zwillbrock looks after various nature reserves in the Borken district and offers, among other things, guided tours through the Venn. A permanent exhibition provides extensive information on the nature reserves.
Furthermore, several cycle paths from Germany and the Netherlands lead to the Zwillbrocker Venn. One of these cycle paths is the 450 km long, cross-border flamingo route, which owes its name to the flamingos that breed in the Zwillbrocker Venn.
See also
literature
- Gisela Eber, Claus Schäfer: The Zwillbrocker Venn. A nature reserve in Vreden. Vreden 1973.
- Joop Treep, Dietmar Ikemeyer: Flamingos in the Zwillbrocker Venn . LÖBF reports 2006/3: 12–16.
Web links
- Nature reserve “Zwillbrocker Venn” in the specialist information system of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Ellewicker Feld and Zwillbrocker Venn (NaTourZeit). (PDF; 531 kB) State Institute for Ecology, Land Management and Forests in North Rhine-Westphalia , accessed on April 24, 2011 .
- Biological station Zwillbrock
- Kreis-borken.de , information about the Zwillbrocker Venn on the tourism page of the Borken district; accessed on December 22, 2017
- Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe: Zwillbrocker Venn in LWL geodata culture
Individual evidence
- ↑ Joop Treep, Dietmar Ikemeyer: Flamingos in the Zwillbrocker Venn. LÖBF reports 2006/3: 12–16.