the Brandenburg ostrich - Landesamt für Umwelt, Gesundheit und ...

Conservation 31Great Bustard in ConflictThe Great Bustard achieved an ambiguous famein some media outlets in the 1990s as “the mostexpensive bird in the world.” The reason behindthis was the railway line from Berlin to Hannoverthat went right through the Great Bustard territoryin the Havelländisches Luch. What had previouslyonly been used as noise control for human settlementswas now to be used to protect the bustards– walls on either side of the tracks to avoidcollisions between the birds and the trains or theiroverhead wires.The project was a complete success for all involved,including the Deutsche Bahn (GermanRailway). The section of the line was completedon time and the costs came in under budget. Theyamounted to a small portion of what the alternatives– a long bypass or a tunnel – would havecost. The implemented measures are also advantageousfor many other bird species as well asbeavers and European otters, for which a specialpassage beneath the tracks was built. The bustardsthemselves tolerate the train line.Did you know...Great Bustardssleep on theirbelly? They pulltheir headbetween theirshoulders.The “BustardWall” also allowsother birds, such asthe cranes (above)to safely cross thetrain line.