Keeping Watch over Birds at the Oder Estuary
A BESTbelt project is turning long-term bird monitoring into practical recommendations for the Natura 2000 site Zalew Kamienski and River Dziwna.
In the Polish part of the Oder estuary, the Natura 2000 site Zalew Kamieński and River Dziwna (PLB320011) is an important area for migrating, wintering and breeding waterbirds. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in nature monitoring, Federacja Zielonych “GAJA” and the West Pomeranian Nature Society are carrying out activities aimed at collecting up-to-date field data and strengthening the protection of this valuable section of the European Green Belt.
As part of the BESTbelt project “Revision of the draft conservation plan for the Kamień Lagoon and Dziwna River Natura 2000 site”, ornithological surveys were conducted across different parts of the site, including field observations and checks of grey heron and cormorant colonies. The collected information is currently being analysed and prepared for further study. The field data will be combined with available literature on birds, habitats, hydrology, geology, spatial development and ecological connectivity. The results of the work will be published as a monograph of the Natura 2000 site.
The project will help determine the current status of bird populations, their trends, pressures and threats, and then translate this knowledge into practical conservation recommendations. The outcomes will also include a proposal for a standardised ornithological monitoring system, recommendations for revisions to the conservation task plan, and a monograph of the Natura 2000 site.
The project "Revision of the draft conservation plan for the Kamień Lagoon and Dziwna River Natura 2000 site" is implemented by the Green Federation „GAIA” in collaboration with the West Pomeranian Nature Society from October 2024 to September 202 and is funded by the BESTbelt project.
For more information, please contact:
Aneta Kozłowska, Jakub Skorupski, Federacja Zielonych "GAJA", fzbiuro@gajanet.pl
Documents/resources: a monograph of the Natura 2000 site, monitoring recommendations and proposed revisions to the conservation task plan are planned as project outputs and will be shared once available.