Birds of the demonstration site

More than 300 bird species were recorded in the site (among them - about 200 breeding species) in recent years.

The Nemunas River delta area is one of key nesting sites of rare and vulnerable bird species in Europe. The site supports 55 nesting or probably nesting bird species included into the Red Data Book of Lithuania and 53 - listed in the Annex I of the EU Bird Directive.

* - possible breeder; breeding of the species has not been confirmed

The wetland complex is of crucial importance for certain globally threatened species. Floodplains of the site holds up to 50 nesting pairs of Great Snipe Gallinago media and up to 40 pairs of Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola. The wetland complex is the most important nesting ground of Great Snipe in Lithuania. Corncrake Crex crex is a common breeder in wet meadows with up to 300 pairs counted. Particularly high nesting densities of Corncrake (up to 18 pairs/100 ha) were recently recorded in certain habitats of the site. Potential breeders of this wetland complex are Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga and Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca. Single pairs of both species were recorded during the breeding season in habitats suitable for nesting.

The Nemunas River delta is the regional nesting center of many rare bird species.

Old wet forests of the delta (including its Russian part) site holds 5-7 pairs of Black Stork Ciconia nigra, 6-9 pairs of White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, 10-14 pairs of Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina, 8-10 pairs of Black Kite Milvus migrans, 3-5 pairs of Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, 4-6 pairs of Ural Owl Strix uralensis, 20-30 pairs of Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius, 4-5 pairs of White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos, etc. Local breeding populations of White-tailed Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Eagle Owl and Ural Owl are the largest in Lithuania.

Large mires and wet meadows of the site (including its Russian part) support 10-12 pairs of Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus, 2-3 pairs of very rare in this region Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, 20-30 pairs of Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix, 35-40 pairs of Common Crane Grus grus, 100-130 pairs of Spotted Crake Porzana porzana, 4-6 pairs of rare in the region Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria, 3-5 pairs of Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola, up to 50-70 pairs of Redshank Tringa totanus, 15-20 pairs of Dunlin Calidris alpina, 50-70 pairs of Ruff Philomachus pugnax, 80-100 pairs of Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, 10-15 pairs of Curlew Numenius arquata, 4-7 pairs of Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus, etc. Local breeding populations of Montagu's Harrier, Spotted Crake, Redshank, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff are the largest in Lithuania.

Shallow inshore waters of the Nemunas (Neman) River delta, sandy islands and large fishponds of the site hold regionally important breeding populations of waterbirds. Up to 20-30 breeding pairs of Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis and of Bittern Botaurus stellaris, 40-50 pairs of Greylag Goose Anser anser, 5-8 pairs of Shelduck Tadorna tadorna, 20-30 pairs of Gadwall Anas strepera, 150 - 200 pairs of Shoveler Anas clypeata, 10-15 pairs of Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta, 4-7 pairs of Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, up to 200 pairs of Common Tern Sterna hirundo, up to 100 pairs of Little Tern Sterna albifrons, up to 500 pairs of Black Tern Chlidonias niger, etc. were recently recorded in the whole delta area. It is the only nesting site of Avocet in Lithuania. Local breeding populations of Bittern, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Shoveler, Little Tern and Black Tern are the largest in Lithuania.

Abundant breeding waterbirds in this territory are Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus, Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis, Mute Swan Cygnus olor, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Teal Anas crecca, Garganey Anas querquedula, Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula and Coot Fulica atra. Common and abundant breeding species of waders are Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius, Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos and Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago.

Villages and settlements of the wetland complex are important nesting grounds of White Stork Ciconia ciconia, with up to 200 nesting pairs counted in the whole delta territory with adjacent areas.

The delta area with adjacent floodplains is the most important stop-over site for numerous species of waterbirds in the South Eastern Baltic Region. Internationally important concentrations of 18 waterbird species (exceeding the 1% Ramsar threshold) were recently recorded in the site.

Flooded coastal meadows of the delta area are key staging sites for population of Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus during spring migration in Europe, with up to 6,800 birds (11% of individuals of the whole NW Europe population) recently recorded during one census. Very large staging flocks of the Bewick's Swan Columbianus columbianus bewickii are also characteristic of floodplains, with up to 3,200 swans (11% individuals of NW Europe population) recorded.

Floodplains surrounding the delta are the key stop-over sites of Greater White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons in the Baltic Region, with more than 100,000 birds counted.. Internationally important staging flocks of Bean Goose Anser fabalis (up to 6,000 birds), Greylag Goose (up to 4,000 birds) and of Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis (up to 2,600 birds) were also recorded in the delta area in recent years. The site supports migratory population of the globally threatened Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus. Small staging groups of Lesser White-fronted Geese in recent years were irregularly recorded in the site.

The delta area is of crucial importance for migratory populations of ducks, with up to 5,000 Northern Pintails Anas acuta, 20,000 Wigeons Anas penelope, 3,000 Gadwalls, 41,000 Pochards Aythya ferina, 38,000 Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula and 4,500 Smews Mergellus albellus counted during one census. Small staging flocks of the globally threatened Ferruginous Duck were irregularly observed in the site.

The site is the main stop-over ground of migratory Common Cranes in the coastal region of Lithuania, with up to 3,500 birds counted in raised bogs and wet meadows of the territory.

The wetland complex is internationally important for migratory populations of Little Gull Larus minutus (up to 5,000 birds counted during one census), Caspian Tern (up to 200 birds), Little Tern (up to 500 birds) and of Black Tern (up to 7,000 birds).

Floodplains and mudflats of the delta and adjacent fishponds are the key stop-over sites for migratory populations of waders in Lithuania. Up to 11,000 staging Lapwings Vanellus vanellus, 8,000 Ruffs, 5,000 Dunlins and large staging aggregations of other species of waders were recorded in the site in recent years.

Internationally important concentrations of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (up to 2,500 birds) were also registered in the site during the last years.

On 19 September 2007 internationally important concentrations of Great White Egret Egretta alba were recorded in the whole territory of the Nemunas River Delta Regional Park, with 1,050 birds counted. It was the first registration of so large concentration of Great White Egrets in the Baltic States. Great White Egret was a very rare species in the Baltic region during the 20^th century, while a very rapid increase in numbers of non-breeding birds was registered during the last 5 years due to the global climate change.

During warm winter the Nemunas (Neman) River delta supports up to 20,000 waterfowl. It is also the key wintering ground of White-tailed Eagle in the region, with up to 40 birds recorded in mild seasons.