Despite the severe bird flu that broke out in the area last year, the number of breeding birds in De Onlanden is doing well. A record number of breeding birds was counted in the nature reserve in the north of Drenthe. A total of 122 species were counted.
There were also newcomers to the area. “Four species made their debut in De Onlanden in 2023,” says Wijnhold. “Namely the heron, cattle egret, wood monkey and little black-backed gull. In addition, rare species such as the white-cheeked tern, great reed warbler, mourning wagtail and pintail De Onlanden have been found again.”
The number of ducks, rail-like birds and meadow birds actually decreased.
Last May, volunteers cleaned up an estimated 1,600 dead black-headed gulls in De Onlanden. Bird flu hit this bird species hard. The Drenthe-Groningen nature reserve is home to the largest inland colony of the black-headed gull in the Netherlands. Despite the severe bird flu, many young were spotted. 814 nests of the black-headed gull were counted.
According to Wijnhold, there was something remarkable going on with some nests: “It is striking that loose nests were found here and there, outside of a colony context. It seemed as if corona measures, such as ‘social distancing’, were also known to the black-headed gull.”