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28ConservationThe eggs for the artificial brood are from clutchesinadvertently mown free, but are also sometimesspecifically gathered. But doesn’t it endanger thepopulation when the eggs are just “taken away”from the Great Bustards? Long-term observationshave shown that so-called “predators”, primarilyfoxes, eat a large percentage of the clutches. Notonly Great Bustards, but also many species thatbrood on meadows are increasingly suffering thisfate, and especially in large swaths of CentralEurope. For the Great Bustards it is primarily theearlier clutches that end in the stomachs of predators,at times when the vegetation doesn’t provideenough cover. Since these eggs would be lostin any case and as the hens regularly lay severalsubsequent clutches the responsible parties in theEnvironmental Agency and the Great Bustard ConservationFoundation decided to take a portion ofthese clutches to brood and raise at the hands ofmen. The natural tendency to subsequent clutchesmeans that eggs are found into July and youngbirds into August. The rescued eggs are artificiallybrooded in an incubator and humans then rear thehatched chicks. The bustards are not allowed toget used to being cared for like house pets.To ensure the freed birds behave in a mannerappropriate to the species it is necessary:❚ to reduce contact with humans to a minimum❚ to limit contact to a few, uniformly dressedpersons❚ to begin the process of returning them to thewild at around six weeks.In the HavelländischesLuch the goalof a self-sustainingpopulation has almostbeen reached. Thepopulation, whichhas almost quadrupledsince 1996, wasbuilt largely withoutartificial brooding,but wouldn’t havebeen possible withoutintensive managementof the wild broodsinside a fox-proofprotection fence. Theslump in 2011 was aWinter flight caused.7060504030201001996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Conservation 29Fosterlings in needOver centuries humans have changed the habitatof the Great Bustard and its entire plant andanimal world. Predator-prey relationships and competition between the individual species have tofind a new balance under constantly changingconditions – ecologists speak of “dynamic equilibrium.”Many factors have led to the increasedfrequency in the last decades of animal speciesthat belong to the predators of bustards andtheir eggs, such as foxes and ravens. Additionallythere are invasive species such as the raccoon andraccoon dog that pose potential risks. This shift inthe species structure primarily has negative effectson the reproduction of the Great Bustards, whichwould have reached rock bottom were it not forconservation efforts.This is a problem for many other bird species thatbrood on the ground, not only in Brandenburg,but also in large parts of Central Europe. These includethe lapwing, grey partridge, and the curlew.While foxes can also be a danger to adult bustards, raccoons (middle) and raccoon dogs (right) pose risks primarily to the clutches andyoung animals.
Page 1: Species and Biotope ConservationThe
Page 4 and 5: 2 The Great Bustard - the Brandenbu
Page 6: 4 The Great Bustard - the Brandenbu
Page 9 and 10: Habitat and Biology7...today on fie
Page 11 and 12: Habitat and Biology9...a rare birdT
Page 13 and 14: Habitat and Biology11100 cm75 cm50
Page 15 and 16: Habitat and Biology13The courtship
Page 17 and 18: Habitat and Biology15Did you know..
Page 19 and 20: Habitat and Biology17Annual Cycle o
Page 21 and 22: Habitat and Biology19Severe winters
Page 23 and 24: Conservation21...international resp
Page 25: Conservation23The conservation of t
Page 29: Conservation27The artificial henLar
Page 33 and 34: Conservation 31Great Bustard in Con
Page 35 and 36: Conservation 33Compensation and mit
Page 37 and 38: Conservation 35With understanding a
Page 39 and 40: Conservation 3716014012010080rescue
Page 41 and 42: Observation39For the viewer it is a
Page 43 and 44: State Bird Conservation Centre41Fro
Page 45 and 46: State Bird Conservation Centre43In
Page 47 and 48: Information45National and internati
Page 49 and 50: Information47Internet ResourcesAddr
Page 52: Ministry for Environment, Health,an

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