Part B - Technical instructions 
27 
3 Avifauna 
A single-species description is required for the following bird species: 
• All species listed under Annex 1 to the ED Birds Directive. 
• All regularly occurring migratory bird species according to Art. 4, para. 2, Birds Directive, 
which are not listed under Annex 1. However, a generally applicable and binding list of such 
vulnerable migratory bird species does not exist. Information about their conservation 
status is available, e. g., from the species classification by European SPEC categories (Spe 
cies of European Conservation Concern, BirdLife International 2004), the European catego 
ries of conservation concern (Papazoglou et al. 2004) and the species’ status according to 
the Action Plan under the “Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory 
Waterbirds” (AEWA). Against that background, a single-species description has to be pro 
vided for all migratory bird species listed in any of the above lists. 
As far as different construction sites/projects take place in regional and temporal conjunction, 
the surveys should be co-ordinated with the planning approval/approval authority according 
to site- and project-specific conditions (cluster study, Part A, Section 11). The carrying out of 
surveys should be jointly co-ordinated and data collation must be ensured. 
3.1 Resting birds 
Table 3.1.1: Survey of foraging, moulting and resting birds. 
Baseline study 
Construction 
phase 
Operation phase 
Objectives 
Survey of the status quo of dis 
tribution and abundance of birds 
and observation of bird behavi 
our in order to assess the as 
sessment area’s importance as a 
resting, feeding and/or moulting 
area. 
Survey of distri 
bution and ab 
undance of 
birds and ob 
servation of bird 
behaviour in the 
assessment 
area in order to 
assess potential 
construction 
phase impacts. 
Survey of distribution and abun 
dance of birds and observation of 
bird behaviour in the assessment 
area in order to assess potential 
operation phase impacts. 
Scope 
Throughout the year: one ship based survey per month at regular intervals, if possible. 
Depending on site- and project-specific conditions, at least 6 more ship based 
surveys per year under observation of seasonal occurrence of species. 
Transects should cover at least 10 % of the assessment area. 
Throughout the year: 8-10 digital aircraft based surveys (video/photo), depending on 
project or area and seasonal occurrence of species. The aerial surveys of resting birds 
takes place together with the aerial surveys of marine mammals (of. Table 4.1). 
Timing 
At least two consecutive com 
plete seasonal cycles prior to the 
start of construction. 
Throughout the 
entire construc 
tion phase. 
At least three years, up to five 
years if required, after commissio 
ning.