Jena/Gotha (dpa/th) - According to the nature conservation organization Nabu, the Whinchat as "Bird of the Year" 2023 is rare in Thuringia. In the 1980s, the stock in the Free State was still estimated at 500 to 1000 breeding pairs, said the Nabu on Thursday in Jena. In the meantime, it is probably less than 500 breeding pairs for the rare migratory bird. The majority of the small songbirds live on the training ground in Ohrdruf (Gotha district) and on the former military training ground in Kindel (Wartburg district).
Otherwise there are still isolated breeding pairs in all parts of the country, explained the Nabu bird expert Klaus Lieder. In Germany there are still 19,500 to 35,000 breeding pairs with a sharp downward trend. They are most common in the east and northeast - the small bird prefers less densely populated regions. According to the Red List, whinchats that breed on the ground are threatened with extinction in Thuringia. They spend the winter south of the Sahara.
According to the expert, the rare birds in Thuringia would have better breeding conditions through more extensive grazing on large areas and the setting up of perches. Flowering meadows and sustainable agriculture are important.
