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Belgium is probably not the best country for birding, although there are Belgian Hotspots. You will probably expect flocks of geese grazing the polders, but may be surprised to know that the wooded hillsides in the East of the country can hold Hazel Grouse and Tengmalm's Owl. The coastal area (especially of the north) attract over 30.000 Pink-footed Geese (about 75% of the Svalbard-population) and 20.000-35.000 Greater White-fronted Geese every winter. The Damme / Uitkerke polders hold the vast majority of these birds. Most winters also produce a few Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted Geese. Between the geese you can find Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls and regular Merlin. The new harbour of Zeebrugge has become one of Belgium's top-birding sites. The mixture of industry and wastelands is hardly the most attractive backdrop for a birding visit and access is not always easy, but the rewards can be considerable. Pay a visit to the nature-reserve of the Zwin too; on migration it can be very good. The west coast can be very productive in the polders with the triangle Diksmuide - Lo - Merkem. For seabirding the west-mole in Nieuwpoort including the reserve of the Ijzermonding and the east-mole in Oostende are an ideal places. It can be good for wader passage too. In the north of the country you can visit Blokkersdijk - almost in the middle of the Antwerpen left-harbour. The nearby colonies of Mediterranean Gull can hold over 400 birds. Also near Antwerpen you can find the Kalmthoutse Heide, always good for warblers or a Hobby. There is an excellent website for the North of Belgium; that of Walter van Spaandonk (De Wielewaal = ornithological society in Flanders); it gives an agenda of their activities. See the links below. Closer to the capital Brussels, you can have a great walk in the Zonienwoud, an old beech forest of over 4000ha. Always good for a lot of typical forest birds. Honey-Buzzard breeds there. Near Tervuren (the lakes and the museum) and in the National Garden of Meise you can find our exotics - Egyptian Goose and Ring-necked Parakeet. Apart from the birds of the Zonienwoud, you can get an idea whats on around Europes capital. In contrast to the west and middle of the country, eastwards you will find great forests - The Ardennes. For the south of the country (French speaking part) AVES is the contact - see below. Stavelot can be the best place to start your trip. Places like Trois-Ponts, Wanne and Logbiermé produce regular Nutcracker (in autumn) and are the breeding ground of Tengmalm's Owl. Black and Grey-headed Woodpecker occur often. There is also a walk with very impressive landscape in Hautes Fagnes, between Eupen and Monschau, which is very good. With luck you can see the migration of Common Cranes. Sadly Black Grouse have become very rare in this area. Easier to see is the Eagle Owl, now breeding regularly in several quarries (even those that are still working). The valley of the river Meuse is known for them. Beautiful walks with some fairly good birding can be had in the surroundings of some great Ardennes rivers like Ourthe or Semois. Places like Bohan, Botassart, La Cuisine and Samree are known for Raven, Black Stork and Dipper. Do not forget, Belgium is also the home country of the European colour-ring Birding website. On this site you can find regular an up-date on the colour-ringing projects in Europe. A Recent Trip to Belgium concentrated on some birds one cannot see (either at all or easily) in the UK; here is a précis: (Also Lac du Der may well be worth going to.) Ethe: Hazelhen, Hawfinch, black & middle-spotted woodpeckers. Eupen: Grey headed woodpecker Logbierme: Tengmalms owl in nest boxes and birds heard calling after dark. [Do not disturb nestboxes without permission from locals]. Nutcracker here too. |
Number of bird species: 451
Where to Watch Birds In Holland Belgium & Northern France
Arnoud Van Den Berg & Dominique Lafontaine Hamlyn (1996)ISBN: 0600579778
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Antenne régionale RNOB - Famenne & Ardenne
Regional group
AVES asbl societe d'etudes ornithologiques
WebsiteLeading French language site...
Belgian Rarities Committee
WebsiteThe BAHC (Belgisch Avifaunistisch Homologatiecomité) is the Flemish section of the Belgian rarities committee, founded in 1967. In close cooperation with the Francophone section, the CH (Commission d`Homologation); founded in 1964, it keeps the official Belgian avifaunistic list up-to-date...
De vogelwerkgroep Cinerea
WebsiteDe vogelwerkgroep Cinerea heeft grootse plannen: Lees hieronder bij de rubriek Huidige projecten alles over de terugkeer van de Slechtvalk in onze Denderregio.
Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO)
InformationThe INBO carries out research that is essential to governmental policy and provides scientific support for conservation, development, management and sustainable use of biodiversity and its environment. It publishes the two-yearly Nature Report, which evaluates the state of nature and relevant policy efforts in Flanders...
Kerkuilwerkgroep Vlaanderen
WebsiteEind van de jaren `70 stond de Kerkuil (Tyto alba ) op de Rode lijst van de met uitsterven bedreigde diersoorten in België. Op het einde van 1979 werd een werkgroep opgericht met als voornaamste doel het behoud van de Kerkuil als broedvogel in ons land. In Vlaanderen werd in 1980 door de Kerkuilwerkgroep (toen nog de Werkgroep Bescherming Roofvogels, later het Nationaal Kerkuilproject) een grootscheepse inventarisatie opgezet. Een gelijkaardige, maar veel kleinschaliger actie werd in Wallonië op touw gezet. Al snel bleek een nijpend tekort aan broedgelegenheid aan de basis te liggen van de sterke achteruitgang van het Kerkuilbestand...
L'antenne régionale Centre-Ouest Hainaut
WebsiteElle couvre un territoire composé des entités de La Louvière, Le Roeulx, Soignies, Mons, Quévy, Frameries, Quaregnon, Saint-Ghislain, Boussu, Colfontaine, Dour, Honnelles, Quiévrain, Hensies, Bernissart, Péruwelz, Beloeil, Jurbise.
la Ligue Royale Belge pour la Protection des Oiseaux
WebsiteLa Protection des Oiseaux belge (officiellement la Ligue Royale Belge pour la Protection des Oiseaux asbl) est une association de protection de la nature nationale qui fut créée en 1922 et qui reçut une personnalité juridique en 1937. Elle entend mener le combat pour la protection de l`avifaune sauvage belge, européenne et mondiale, ainsi que contre toutes les nuisances en amont: chasse, tenderie, braconnage, pollutions diverses et législations douteuses. Elle entend aussi informer et éduquer, tout en créant des refuges pour nos oiseaux par l`acquisition et la gestion de sites naturels particulièrement menacés...
Les Reserves Naturelles et Ornithologiques de Belgique
Rue Royale, Sainte-Marie 105, B-1030 Brussels +32 2 245 43 00 willem.nr@bitserve.com
Natuurfonds Westland
WebsiteNatuurpunt Schelde-Leie
WebsiteNatuurpunt Bree
WebsiteBirding in Bree
Natuurpunt Gent
WebsiteNatuurpunt Gent is een regionale natuurvereniging voor Gent en Sint-Martens-Latem. Samen met meer dan 3800 gezinnenleden maken wij werk van meer natuur voor iedereen. Meer dan 160 lokale vrijwilligers zetten zich dagelijks in voor het beheer van natuurgebieden, een sterke beleidswerking, een onovertroffen verenigingswerking...
Natuurwerkgroep vzw De Buizerd Ingelmunster - Izegem
WebsiteHet voornaamste werkterrein van vzw De Buizerd is Ingelmunster en Izegem. We zijn een niet-politiek gebonden vereniging wat belangrijk is voor een objectieve benadering van de gemeentelijke natuur- en milieupolitiek...
Natuurwerkgroep De Kerkuil
WebsiteVereniging voor agrarische natuur en landschap in regio IJzer en Polder...
Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen
WebsiteVogelbescherming Vlaanderen is een vereniging zonder winstgevend doel die zich inzet voor alle in het wild levende vogels en andere dieren. Ze werd op 28 juni 2002 opgericht te Antwerpen en is door de Vlaamse overheid erkend als Gewestelijke Thematische Natuurvereniging. Wij heten je hartelijk welkom op onze website.
Vogelwerkgroep Fruitstreek
WebsiteWelkom op de site van Vogelwerkgroep Fruitstreek...
Vogelwerkgroep Noord Oost-Vlaanderen
WebsiteU bevindt zich op de gloednieuwe website van de Vogelwerkgroep Noord Oost-Vlaanderen. Deze website zal zoveel mogelijk bijgewerkt om u op de hoogte te houden van de vogelpopulaties in onze streek. Hieronder vindt u het meest recente nieuws i.v.m. onze werking... Véél surfplezier!
Vogelwerkgroep Noord-West-Vlaanderen
WebsiteVorig weekend werd een nieuwe nestbak voor 'onze' Slechtvalk geplaatst op de toren van de Sint-Salvatorskerk. Een 5-tal spotters werd onder leiding van Guido Orbie en Guy Robrecht naar boven geleid...
Vogelwerkgroep Noordwest-Brabant
WebsiteWelkom op het webstekje van Natuurpunt Vogelwerkgroep Noordwest-Brabant...
Vogelwerkgroep Zuid-West Vlaanderen
WebsiteThe South of the Province of West-Flanders in Belgium has a very active birding club. The Vogelwerkgroep Zuid-West Vlaanderen's website is in Dutch with many pictures, trip reports and information on recent observations in the Kortrijk area.
Birdwatching Sites in Belgium
WebsiteLinks to a number of pages for different birding places
De Uitkerkse Polder
InformationSatellite View
The reserve “Uitkerkse Polder” with its salty meadows is located alongside the eastern Flemish coast and was founded in 1991...
Hesbaye Refuges
WebsiteCe site est une réalisation du Groupe de protection et de développement de la nature en Hesbaye et du Siajef, Entreprise de Formation par le Travail.
Provinciaal Natuurpark Zwin
InformationSatellite View
Welkom op de website van het Provinciaal Natuurpark Zwin in Knokke-Heist...
Wetlands
WebsiteBelgium presently has 6 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance, with a surface area of 7,935 hectares...
This section sponsored by: 
2003 [May] Mike King
ReportToday we set off for Nieuwpoort in Belgium on a weeks family holiday. We had an uneventful trip down to Dover in the morning in time for our lunchtime sailing. The only notable bird on the trip down was a Common Tern over the M4 near Reading services. The weather was horrible in Dover with visibility down to about 50 yards because of fog and rain...
2010 [May] - Mark E P Hows
ReportOnce again I embarked on a trip to see some of Europe's exotics and a couple of resident species (though only a few as information was very hard to come by)...
This section sponsored by:
Birding Pal
InformationLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
La Ferme de l'Airbois
AccommodationJust a 2 hour and 35 minute drive from Calais, set in 60 acres of unspoilt countryside, you will find our beautiful old farmhouse. Overlooking the River Meuse, it boasts en-suite luxury accommodation, a heated swimming pool and traditional French cooking. Skilled guides (including your host) will lead you, based on the latest sightings, to the best bird sites of the Ardennes and South Belgium, where you can see up to 25 species, which are now rare or absent in the UK...
aves-contact
Mailing ListTo post to list:aves-contact@yahoogroupes.fr
List contact:aves-contact-owner@yahoogroupes.fr
To subscribe to list:aves-contact-subscribe@yahoogroupes.fr
AVES-contact est la liste de discussion libre des membres de la Société Ornithologique AVES et de ses sympathisants. On y traite de sujets ornithologiques concernant principalement la partie francophone de la Belgique, mais également des régions voisines. Attention à ne pas divulguer d`informations trop précises concernant des espèces nicheuses rares ou des biotopes fragiles. La liste est également un forum de discussion de tous sujets concernant les objectifs, les moyens et les activités de la Société Ornithologique AVES. L`usage du language HTML dans les messages et l`envoi de pièces jointes sont interdits.
Belgian_birds
Mailing ListTo post to list:Belgian_birds@yahoogroups.com
List contact:Belgian_birds-owner@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to list:Belgian_birds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Mailing List – Discussion Group Birds in Belgium - Met deze mailinglist is het de bedoeling om alle belgische vogelkijkers op 1 mailinglist te krijgen. Hier kan je je ei kwijt over alles wat met vogels te maken heeft. Vragen, waarnemingen, reisverslagen, zolang het maar met vogels te maken heeft.
Natuurpunt Bree
ForumWild Life spotting forum…
Plateau de Herve
BlogA blog on the rings of the birds in Belgium. Capture with the release as of the birds. Species, under-species and even hybrids of swallows...
Young Belgian Birder
BlogI'm a young Belgian birder and I'm especially interested in pelagic bird and cetacean. In Belgium (and northern France) I bird almost exclusively on the coast : seawatching, watching/counting spring migration and searching for rare birds…
Belgian Hotspots
WebsiteThe Vogelwerkgroep Brussel has been re-established in 1990. It co-ordinates the ornithological activities within the Brussels` section of the Flemish nature conservation and eduction society De Wielewaal. The Work Group meets four times a year and publishes quarterly reports of the most important sightings in their journal
Bird and Birding Resources in Belgium
WebsiteThis compilation aims at presenting an overview of all the Belgian bird and birding related resources on the web. Unfortunately, most material is only available in one (or more) of the official national languages (Dutch, French, German); which is indicated if no English text is available...
Breeding Birds Monitoring
InformationResearch Institute for Nature and Forest, BirdLife Flanders...
European Colour Ring Birding
WebsiteColour-marking is a valuable research technique for many studies : some concern behavioral research in a restricted area such as detailing the day-to-day activities of particular birds, while others are interested mainly in movements between areas of following and discovering the timing of seasonal migrations. The use of colour marks allows studies impossible by conventional ringing with a numbered metal ring by dispensing with the need to recapture birds to read the ring numbers. Just read this introduction...
Migration
WebsiteTracking migration in Belgium and Holland
Natuurbeleving
WebsiteDeze database bevat momenteel informatie over 326 vogels van West-Europa. We stelden de lijst samen aan de hand van de verspreidingskaartjes uit verschillende vogelgidsen.
Natuurpunt
WebsiteDaily Journal, Trip Reports etc.Migration: Eind juli reeds vangen bepaalde vogels hun trek naar het zuiden aan. In augustus zijn er al heel wat meer die zich aan de lange tocht wagen. September en oktober zijn de maanden waar de resterende species onze contreien verlaten voor een periode van ongeveer 5 tot 6 maanden. Some of this site is available in English.
Natuurpunt
WebsiteVereniging voor natuur en landschap in Vlaanderen
Natuurpunt Bocholt
WebsiteLocal birding, forum, Photos etc…
Rare Birds in Belgium
WebsiteJos Cuppens pages which lists all records of birds seen five times or less in Belgium since 1901... plus lots of other info. As above... List of up to 5 records in Belgium 1901-1997 (accepted by BAHC or CH)1998, 1999 and 2000 rarity records separately listed (subject to ratification by BAHC). Full details on the status of 462 Belgian birdspecies in the new publication, available at the price of BEF 250 postpaid at Leuvensesteenweg 347, B-3370 Boutersem, Belgium.
Vivara
WebsiteWelkom bij Vivara Natuurbeschermingsproducten - Bienvenue sur le site de Vivara...
Vogelbescherming Vlaaderen
WebsiteIn deze rubriek kan je de actualiteit in verband met vogels en vogelbescherming op de voet blijven volgen. Belangrijke gebeurtenissen en leuke anekdoten worden in deze rubriek ondergebracht. Als je wilt weten waarmee Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen zich zoal bezig houdt, dan moet je af en toe maar eens in deze rubriek komen kijken...
Digiscoping & Digital Birding
GalleryThese pages focus on the technical aspects of digiscoping, a recent technique based on the coupling of a digital camera and a scope. This work has been contributed by many photographers around the world, including Yves Leduc (Canada) - who kindly allowed me to reproduce his notes on the concept - See his website at: http://www.digiscoping.ca/index1.html Ann Cook and Laurence Poh, co-moderator of the Birds-pix mailing list. Other contributors are very welcome! A french text (with its original content) has also been written in close collaboration with Jean-Yves Piel (Egypt); Yves Leduc (Canada); Alain Fossé (France); and Lucien Guès (France).
Photograper - Pierre Nowosad - Birds In Flight
GalleryJust as it says – excellent pictures of birds in flight from this Belgian photographer…
Photographer - Dany's Wildlife Photography
WebsiteNature in close-up…
Photographer - Marc Nollet - Birds of Belgium
Gallery"Birds of Belgium" photographed by Marc Nollet...
Photographer - Marnix Vandegehuchte
GalleryBird & Nature photography - People ask me why I am photographing. The answer is very simple: because I like it. You may ask yourself what is so nice about lying on the ground in the wet grass photographing a small orchid or a butterfly or even a feeding bird. To me it's the intense nature experience. Intense because you have the opportunity to look into the lives of other living creatures...
Photographer - Michael Van Bosch - Time Smuggler
GalleryPhotos of birds from Belgium and around the world…
Photographer - Monique Bogaerts
GalleryMy photographic vision is to capture the beauty of wildlife and nature, and to share it with others through still images. Although I enjoy creating images of all things found in nature, being a lover of birds and other wild animals. Driven by passion and the search for natural beauty I want to show you my galleries...
Photographer - Nathalie Annoye - Lueurs Sauvages
WebsiteToutes les images sont réalisées en milieu naturel, dans le plus grand respect des sujets. Les photos de ce site ne sont pas libres de droit et sont la propriété exclusive de l'auteur. Je vous souhaite une agréable visite...
Photographer - Nicolas Rasson - Naturasson
GalleryLe site de deux passionnés de nature et de photos...
Photographer - Sortie Ornitho par Christophe Bouhon
GalleryCe site est avant tout l’aboutissement d’un désir. Le désir de pouvoir partager avec vous quelques souvenirs realizes lors de mes affuts photographiques…
Photographer – Rudi de Bruyne - Rudi's Bird & Wildlifephotography
GalleryBird Photography, Birding…
Photographers - Bram & Miel Ferdinande
GalleryAs the name suggests the emphasis of this site is photographic. All the photographs were taken by the site owners. Although not yet complete, the site contains a considerable number of European birds already and some vagrants are also depicted. Bonaparte’s Gull, Bee-eater, Red-necked Phalarope, Collared Pratincole, Squacco heron, Slender-billed Gull, White-tailed Lapwing, European Roller, Hoopoe... and many more. In the future more pictures will be added on a regular basis.
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This site was last updated on Saturday, 25th May 2013.