Ecosystems 10: Breeding Birds in the Wadden Sea in 1996

Results of a total survey in 1996 and of numbers of colony breeding species between 1991 and 1996. This report is the tenth issue of the Wadden Sea Ecosystem series and includes the results of the 1996 total survey and the comparisons with the first survey five years ago. Furthermore, for the colony nesting species, changes in distribution and abundance are given for the first time on an annual basis for the period between 1991 and 1996. The report reflects the fact that the joint breeding bird monitoring program has now been operational for a longer period of time, allowing for the analysis of long series. The evaluation consists of three main parts: firstly, an overview of the basic information regarding the study area and the methods used in the 1996 survey; secondly, the results, which are given separately for each of the concerned 31 species; and thirdly, the discussion chapter, which confirms the outstanding significance of the breeding bird fauna of the entire Wadden Sea. It is shown that the breeding bird monitoring provides a mechanism for evaluating the nature conservation actions and achievements in the Wadden Sea