Project areas

The project areas of GrassBirdHabitats comprise the core breeding areas of meadow birds in the north-western European Plain (in Lower Saxony and Fryslân) and their core wintering sites (in West Africa) along the East Atlantic Flyway.

The project areas in Lower Saxony (Germany) include all of the state’s Natura 2000 sites that are designated for meadow birds (27 sites, 155,000 ha). Complementary actions in Lower Saxony will also take place in important areas outside these 27 sites.

The project area in Fryslân (the Netherlands) is closely connected to those in Lower Saxony. It comprises the meadow bird core breeding area of this Dutch province and is 136,000 ha in size. According to the current distribution of birds in Fryslân, the majority of measures will take place outside of Natura 2000 sites.

Additionally, the project includes some of the most important wintering grounds of the focus species, which lie in West Africa, mostly in Senegal and adjacent areas. These areas are vital for the species' conservation because all meadow birds migrate and spend several months of the year in their wintering grounds.