DIJK AJ VAN, HUSTINGS F, KOFFIJBERG K, WEIDE M VAN DER, DEUZEMAN S, DIJKSEN L, ZOETEBIER D & PLATE C (2005) Rare and colonial breeding birds in The Netherlands in 2000-2002. LIMOSA 78 (2): 45-64.

In The Netherlands, national country-wide surveys of rare and colonial breeding birds have been carried out annually since 1992. This national breeding bird register aims to monitor national population size and trends in e.g. Special Protection Areas of the EU-Bird Directive and is part of an ecological monitoring programme of the Dutch government. Fieldwork is carried out mainly by dedicated volunteers, co-ordinated by Sovon Vogelonderzoek Nederland and carried out according to standardised methods. Species covered are all colonially breeding birds (e.g. Great Cormorant, herons, gulls, Sand Martin and Rook) and all scarce to rare breeding birds, like Great Bittern, Western Marsh Harrier, Corncrake, Common Ringed Plover, Barn Owl, Whinchat, Common Raven and Corn Bunting. This paper summarises results of the surveys in 2000-2002, published before in annual reports (van Dijk et al. 2002, 2003). Population size estimates and an indication for trends are provided in Table 1. Note that numbers in many species (especially rare species) refer to territories, and do not necessarily include confirmed breeding. All three seasons covered here were preceded by exceptionally mild winters. Surveys in 2001 were seriously affected by Foot and Mouth-disease: especially in March-May several areas had restricted access or no access at all.
      Red-necked- and Black-necked Grebe were thriving. Settlement of several pairs of Rednecked Grebes in the northern part of the country probably expresses expansion of this species in nearby breeding centres in northern Germany. Great Cormorant generally remains stable in inland colonies, but continues to increase in the Wadden Sea. Due to the series of mild winters, populations of herons did well, with up to 300 breeding pairs (bp) of Great Bittern in 2002. Eurasian Spoonbill reached record population levels in 2002 (1500 bp) and has expanded to the German and Danish Wadden Sea. The Mediterranean 'flavour' off some regions was also enhanced by good numbers of Little Egret (37 bp in 2002) and Great White Egret (47 bp in 2002), which now have a major core breeding area in the Delta area and Oostvaardersplassen in Flevoland, respectively.
      Rapidly expanding species are also found among geese. Especially Greater Canada Goose and Barnacle Goose show exponential population growth. The population of Barnacle Goose already consists of 2000-2500 bp. Recovery of Red-crested Pochard, starting after major improvement in local water quality, continued. For Common Eider, a species which is notoriously difficult to monitor, the population trend is less obvious. In areas where numbers are well-known, recent data point at a decline. Among raptors, Peregrine Falcon is still expanding; 13 bp were counted in 2002. Remarkable were a nest of a Black Kite in 2000 (third for The Netherlands, but failed) and nest-building by a pair of Ospreys in 2002 (first attempt). The latter occurred too late in season to be fruitful, but coincides with an increase of summer visitors and observations of displaying birds. It is expected that the species will settle as a breeding bird in the near future. A worrying decline proceeds in Hen Harrier, which still has its stronghold on the Wadden Sea islands and joins Short-eared Owl in a downward trend.
      Corncrakes had an exceptionally good season in 2000 (540-585 territories) and moderate numbers in the following years. In 2001, the first breeding attempt of Common Crane was documented (in 2002 already two pairs bred). Some waders showed ongoing long-term declines (e.g. Kentish Plover, Ruff). Ruff mainly survives in special reserves and has abandoned nearly the entire country. Recent developments include declines in Pied Avocet populations along the mainland Wadden Sea coasts (20% decline since the early 1990s, probably mainly due to increased predation rates). Common Ringed Plover remained stable after a series of years with lower numbers.
      Mediterranean Gull, which increased in the 1990s, had a sudden breakdown, but this was only due to the move of important colonies in the SW-Netherlands across the Belgian border. Further declines were observed in Blackheaded Gull and European Herring Gull. Black-headed Gulls have abandoned many inland colonies, whereas coastal colonies increasingly move to the Wadden Sea islands to escape predation from Red Foxes. A new breeding bird species was Black-legged Kittiwake, which first bred in 2000 on a platform on the Dutch continental shelf in the North Sea. Slightly expanding is also Greater Blackbacked Gull. Tern populations generally remained stable but reproduction was poor in several colonies. Black Tern increased slightly.
      Barn Owl has nearly recovered from the population low in the 1960s and 1970s. However, numbers vary from region to region due to vole population cycles. Eurasian Eagle Owl, which first appeared in the southernmost edge of the country, occupied a new breeding site near the German border in Gelderland in 2002 and now counts three bp. Similar to herons (and species like Grey Wagtail), Common Kingfisher benefited from the series of mild winters. Stimulated locally by the restoration of natural river banks and improved water quality, the species reached unprecedented numbers (650-700 bp). In 2001 and 2002, a few European Beeeaters bred, most of which failed. Eurasian Wryneck still balances on the verge of extinction in many areas; the national population only holds 65 bp at maximum. The same applies to Crested Lark, remaining in only few urban areas by now. Tawny Pipit shares the downward trend and might disappear soon as a breeding bird in the Netherlands (five territories in 2002, at least three of which occupied by unpaired males).
      Again as a result of mild winters, population of Zitting Cisticola thrived in the southwestern part of the country. In another southern 'invader', Melodious Warbler, expansion proceeds slower than expected. Large fluctuations were observed in Bearded Reedling. Both Redbacked Shrike and Great Grey Shrike suffered losses; the latter species is expected to disappear as a breeding bird soon (no confirmed breeding, only two records in May-June). The long-term population recovery of Rook now seems to level off (see also Limosa 77: 11-24). Raven recently tends to decline, partly due to less favourable feeding conditions as supplemental feeding in the core breeding has stopped. Common Rosefinch has nearly vanished after an upsurge in the 1990s. The longterm decline in Ortolan Bunting is nearly completed; despite a few scattered singing (but probably unpaired) males, breeding was suspected only once. #### Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Little Egret Egretta garzetta Western Great Egret Ardea alba = Egretta alba Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Purple Heron Ardea purpurea White Stork Ciconia ciconia African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Black Swan Cygnus atratus Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus Greater Canada Goose Branta canadensis Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope Northern Pintail Anas acuta Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Common Eider Somateria mollissima Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Black Kite Milvus migrans Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix Spotted Crake Porzana porzana Little Crake Porzana parva Baillon's Crake Porzana pusilla Corn Crake Crex crex Common Crane Grus grus Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Dunlin Calidris alpina = Calidris alpina schinzii Ruff Philomachus pugnax Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos = Tringa hypoleucos Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus = Larus melanocephalus Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus = Larus minutus Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus = Larus ridibundus Common Gull Larus canus canus Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus European Herring Gull Larus argentatus Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis = Sterna sandvicensis Common Tern Sterna hirundo Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea = Sterna macrura Little Tern Sternula albifrons = Sterna albifrons Black Tern Chlidonias niger Barn Owl Tyto alba Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis European Bee-eater Merops apiaster Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius Crested Lark Galerida cristata Sand Martin Riparia riparia Common House Martin Delichon urbicum = Delichon urbica Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flavissima = Motacilla flava flavissima Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Pied Wagtail Motacilla yarrellii = Motacilla alba yarrellii Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Fieldfare Turdus pilaris Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta Western Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris familiaris Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor Rook Corvus frugilegus House Crow Corvus splendens Hooded Crow Corvus cornix = Corvus corne cornix Common Raven Corvus corax European Serin Serinus serinus Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra

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