NABU | Vogel des Jahres 2013: Die Bekassine

Common Snipe is “Bird of the Year 2013” NABU and the national federation for Birds (LBV), NABU partner in Bavaria have voted in Germany endangered Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) to the “Bird of the Year 2013” as you can see here:  NABU | Vogel des Jahres 2013: Die Bekassine. More information, you will find following the link to the Landesbund für Vogelschutz in Bayern e.V (LBV).

In Germany actually there are only 5500-6700 breeding pairs left – about half the population of 20 years ago. The Common Snipe is to advertise as an ambassador for the preservation of wetlands and wet meadows. The deaf great snipe bird with beige-brown plumage and the distinctive beak is due to his vociferous courtship flight often called “complaints bird”.

“The snipe had really good reason to complain because of bogs and marshes their habitat is fast disappearing. It is high time the last Moore strictly protected in Germany – in the interests of climate protection. The same applies to wetlands. We can not accept the fact that lowered the water table and dewatered areas, grasslands plowed, cultivated crops such as corn for biogas plants over large areas, and degraded peat meadows are planted in, “said NABU Vice President Helmut Opitz.

“The fact that the Snipe is threatened with extinction in Germany, is mainly due to the systematic destruction of their habitats. The habitat loss affects many other species, including close relatives such as the curlew and the black-tailed godwit. Of the policy, we therefore expect a consistent protection for all types of wet meadows and bogs. Obtain Pastures and wiederzuvernässen also a very efficient contribution to climate protection, “said Chairman Louis Sothmann LBV.

Common Snipes, Gallinago gallinago, are always a prime birdwatchter´s and bird photographers target bird. This birds was already a topic of a blog Bird-lens wrote recently in April 2012. A beautiful patterned wader that stays hidden normally in the grass, but is seen sometimes in the open; even allowing approach at short distance. But by the destruction of their habitats, the snipe is at high risk of extinction in Germany.

Successful shootings of images of the snipes you can see in the gallery .

To see the fine differences to a sister taxon of Gallinago gallinago, Bird-Lens added 2 images of the Pintail Snipe, Gallinago stenura

Other successful shootings you can see under: www.bird-lens.com.

 

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