Observations in a colony of Grey Herons Ardea cinerea on the outskirts of Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21248/corax.v24.203Abstract
At the periphery of Kiel, North Germany, a colony of Grey Herons Ardea cinenrea exists since nine years, with a maximum of 18 breeding pairs. Only a few meters above the ground nests are built in deciduous tress and bushes. Therefore it is possible to observe birds during the breeding season to get insight into their breeding phenology.
Some birds are present all year round with a minimal number of birds in January probably due to frozen water around the area. The average date of oviposition, hatching and fledging may be set on 21. 3., 17. 4. resp. 7. 6. In 2019 a comparable warm February leads to an early breeding season with fledged birds from 17th of May on. The average number of 2,4 nestlings/nest is comparable low. Some late broods (n = 7) occured between 2016–2019 and these young were able to fly early September.
In this colony the late breeding start is unusual for Grey herons in Schleswig-Holstein, even so is the low number of fledgelings and the presence in the breeding colony during the winter time. One reason might be the usage of this small island for breeding and for resting, as well as the localisation within their feeding habitat. Usually the breeding colonies are far away from the feeding areas, so that the birds leave them after breeding.
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