Editing Lake Constance (section)

==== Birds ====
[[File:Halbinsel Mettnau.JPG|thumb|The Mettnau peninsula]]
Lake Constance is also the home of numerous bird species, many of which nest in its nature reserves, such as the [[Wollmatinger Ried]] or the [[Mettnau]] peninsula. 412 species have so far been recorded.<ref>[http://www.bodensee-ornis.de/informationen-zum-bodensee/beobachtungsgebiete/ Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Bodensee: Beobachtungsgebiete] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919054010/http://www.bodensee-ornis.de/informationen-zum-bodensee/beobachtungsgebiete/ |date=2016-09-19 }}</ref>

===== Songbirds =====
The ten most common breeding bird species at Lake Constance according to a 2000–2003 survey in descending order are the: [[Common blackbird|blackbird]], [[chaffinch]], [[house sparrow]], [[great tit]], [[Eurasian blackcap|blackcap]], [[common starling|starling]], [[European robin|robin]], [[common chiffchaff|chiffchaff]], [[European greenfinch|greenfinch]], and [[blue tit]].<ref>''Aufgelistet. Die 10 häufigsten Brutvögelarten…'' In: ''[[Südkurier]].'' 22 October 2010.</ref>

===== Waterfowl =====
[[File:Blässhuhn Fulica atra 03.JPG|thumb|Coot in Hard am Bodensee]]
In spring, the Lake Constance is an important breeding ground, especially for the [[Eurasian coot|coot]] and [[great crested grebe]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bodensee-ornis.de/informationen-zum-bodensee/ |title=Fluctuating water levels |access-date=2017-09-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916032018/http://www.bodensee-ornis.de/informationen-zum-bodensee/ |archive-date=2016-09-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Typical waterfowl include the: [[Northern shoveler|shoveler]], [[Common goldeneye|goldeneye]], [[goosander]], [[Common pochard|pochard]], [[grey heron]], [[Northern pintail|pintail]], [[tufted duck]] and [[mallard]].<ref>Information board on the Überlingen promenade.</ref>

In December 2014, 1,389 [[great cormorant|cormorant]] were counted. The International Lake Constance Fishery Association (IBF) estimates the food requirements of the cormorants on Lake Constance at 150 tonnes of fish annually.<ref name="Franz Domgörgen 2015">Franz Domgörgen: ''Stabile Verhältnisse im Vogelparadies.'' ''Stabile Verhältnisse im Vogelparadies.'' In: ''Südkurier.'' 3 January 2015.</ref>

===== Overwintering =====
Lake Constance is an important overwintering area for around 250,000 birds.<ref name="BVET">[https://www.news.admin.ch/de/nsb?id=7771 Bundesamt für Veterinärwesen: Forschungsprojekt "Constanze" am Bodensee gestartet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123131940/https://www.news.admin.ch/message/?lang=de&msg-id=7771 |date=23 January 2015 }}</ref> annually. Bird species such as the [[dunlin]], the [[Eurasian curlew|curlew]] and the [[Northern lapwing|lapwing]] overwinter at Lake Constance.<ref>[http://www.bodensee-ornis.de/projekte/brachvogelprojekt/ Brachvogelprojekt]</ref> In the middle of December 2014 there were 56,798 heron, 51,713 coot and 43,938 pochard.<ref name="Franz Domgörgen 2015"/> In November/December are about 10,000 to 15,000 [[red-crested pochard]] and 10,000 great crested grebe on Lake Constance.<ref>Franz Domgörgen: ''Wasservögel bleiben Bodensee treu.'' In: ''Südkurier.'' 8 August 2014, p. 23.</ref>

===== Migration =====
During migration in late autumn there are also numerous [[loons]] on the lake ([[Black-throated loon|black-throated]] and [[red-throated loon]], as well as a few [[great northern loon]]s). Lake Constance is also very important as a staging post during the [[bird migration]]. Bird migration is often inconspicuous and most noticeable when there are special weather conditions that make day migration obvious. Only where there is a prolonged spell of widespread low-pressure is it common to observe the congestion of large groups of migratory birds. This can often be observed in autumn on the [[Eriskircher Ried]] on the northern shore of Lake Constance. This is where broad front migration converges on the lake and birds then try to move along the shore towards the northwest. The importance of Lake Constance as an important area for resting and overwintering is underlined by the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology's Radolfzell Bird Observatory (''Vogelwarte Radolfzell''), which is the [[bird ringing]] centre for the German states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland as well as for Austria, and which researches bird migration.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.orn.mpg.de/~vwrado/templates/de/birdrining.html |title=Max-Planck-Forschungsstelle für Ornithologie - Vogelberingung |access-date=2017-09-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305053525/http://www.orn.mpg.de/~vwrado/templates/de/birdrining.html |archive-date=2007-03-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>