Fauna

Although several woodcocks dominate in the aviofauna of floodplain meadows, the species composition may be quite different from that of coastal meadows and alvars. The characteristic bird species of floodplain meadows include common snipe (Gallinago gallinago), lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), corncrake (Crex crex), curlew (Numenius arquata), great snipe (Gallinago media), black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), ruff (Philomachus pugnax), Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus), marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) and several duck species. There are about 30 typical nesting species, but the first signs of overgrowing processes may raise this number. For example, several warblers appear on floodplain meadows when the community starts to overgrow with reed. Typical breeding species on floodplain meadows are common snipe, lapwing, sky lark, meadow pipits (Anthus pratensis), yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava).

Floodplain meadows are also important feeding spots during migration. During floods one can see several ducks, Bewick’s tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii), bean goose (Anser fabalis), greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons). White storks (Ciconia ciconia), black storks (Ciconia nigra), cranes (Grus grus) and lesser spotted eagles (Aquila pomarina) are feeding there when the level of flooding water has already decreased.