The project

Aiming at the increase of the breeding population of Black-tailed Godwits in Lower Saxony, we focus on the two most important sites: the Special Protection Areas (SPA) Dümmer and Unterelbe. The approach is twofold and aims at i) habitat expansion and ii) habitat improvement.

It is planned to acquire 152 hectares of land at both sites combined. In addition, 30 hectares of state-owned land is to be swapped into the target area of the Dümmer SPA.

Subsequently, measures to optimise the habitats for the Black-tailed Godwit will be implemented.

The creation of optimised water levels during the breeding season by means of adjustable weirs is of the utmost importance. Shrubs and woods need to be removed and land use practices need to be converted in favour of the habitat requirements of Black-tailed Godwits.

At the Dümmer fen floodplains it is aimed to optimise water levels on 1,213 hectares in total. At the Unterelbe estuary the 77 hectares that are planned to be purchased are the precondition to open the Belumer summer dike polder for direct tidal influence. This will optimise a total of 524 ha of wet grassland.

Habitat improvement also includes predation management. In both sites a professional predator control system is set up and expanded. Native mammalian predator densities will be significantly reduced to increase survival and reproduction rates of the Black-tailed Godwit. Invasive mammalian predators like Racoon, Racoon Dog and American Mink will be eradicated in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.