Brunhilde the Marsh harrier uses Natura 2000 areas during her trip to Africa
Mid August revalidated marsh harrier ‘Brunhilde’ was released by the Nature Aid Centre in Opglabbeek. She took us with her on her migration route to Africa. Thanks to GPS data we now know that 19 of the 23 stops in Europe are part of the Natura 2000 network. Besides the protection of valuable nature and animal species, this great result shows that Natura 2000 areas play a role in migratory routes of (predatory) birds, or at least they do for Brunhilde!
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The project
The Nature Aid Centre is one of the winners of the LIFE BNIP pilot projects, in which their innovative project ‘Wildlife in Belgium and Europe: their routes unravelled thanks to GPS transmitters’ is given a financial boost. The centre collects data on the use of Natura 2000 areas in migration routes and/or daily movements (for example between foraging site and sleeping place), after which this information is communicated to the general public. In addition, underlying data is collected about which Birds Directive and Habitat Directive sites are visited exactly.
The story of Brunhilde
Brunhilde was brought in at the Nature Aid Centre in Opglabbeek after a food poisoning. After the selection by the transmitter team and a thorough revalidation she left on her migration route to Africa, equipped with a small backpack with a GPS transmitter. This transmitter stores the exact location at various moments and sends the data daily to the Nature Aid Centre.
Brunhilde crossed several countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. What is striking, are the places where she stopped for a while. These were all water- and reed-rich areas that are often part of the Natura 2000 network – no less than 19 of the 23 stops! After Italy followed the crossing to Africa, after which Brunhilde finally ended up in Mali.
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Here at LIFE BNIP we are very pleased with the results of the first tagged bird of prey. We are already looking forward to the next set of data from Brunhilde and of course to the next animal that will take us along his or her journey!
Are you curious about the travellog of Brunhilde? Then be sure to visit the website of Natuurhulpcentrum Opglabbeek or our LIFE BNIP newsfeed.
