Juggler of the air, field peacock and meadow punk: the lapwing, bird of the year 2024, goes by many names. The animals are currently returning to Germany from their wintering areas in the Mediterranean or Great Britain and Ireland, said the State Association for Bird and Nature Conservation (LBV) in Hilpoltstein. The birds with their metallic shimmering wings and distinctive feather hoods migrate across the Free State in large flocks. The first ones settled here in breeding areas on suitable arable land to raise their young birds.
According to the information, the LBV is already preparing at full speed for this year’s breeding season. “We are currently looking for incoming lapwings, particularly in the Donautal and Gäuboden as well as Isar and Vilstal areas, and are working intensively to protect the birds’ territories and their nests,” says LBV project manager Jan Skorupa. At the same time, volunteers and full-time conservationists would be trained accordingly.
It is said that nature enthusiasts can observe the groups of black and white birds as they rest on flooded areas and other wet places. The birds breeding in meadows primarily sought out uncultivated arable land and fallow land. In these low-vegetated areas with open ground, the lapwings would have a good overview of their surroundings and could quickly recognize approaching predators. In soft and moist soil they would also find insects and their larvae as food for their young.
According to the association, the lapwing, like many other meadow-breeding and field birds in Bavaria, is highly endangered. Its population has therefore declined by 90 percent in the past 25 years. To ensure that the bird does not completely disappear from the Bavarian cultural landscape, extensive protective measures and projects are necessary. From the LBV’s perspective, Bavarian farmers can make an important contribution to the breeding success of the bird of the year on their land.
According to the association, various regional funding and the new agri-environmental measures already provide extensive opportunities for the protection of the lapwing. However, funding alone is not enough to preserve the species. It is just as important that the various actors, such as farmers, authorities, hunters and nature conservation activists, network.