Lauwersmeer National Park

National Park · Netherlands

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Photo © laurens24

Photo © laurens24 — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the Wadden Sea meets the northern Dutch coast, salt marshes and shallow water create a landscape of profound ecological importance. Lauwersmeer National Park, straddling the Groningen coastline, encompasses tidal flats, reed beds, and brackish lagoons shaped by centuries of human management and natural tidal rhythm. The park's terrain—low-lying and intimately bound to water—supports a distinctive community of wetland species adapted to the temperate oceanic climate with its year-round moisture and cool growing season. Migratory waders arrive in vast flocks during passage periods, probing the exposed mudflats for invertebrates. Waterfowl and diving birds exploit the open water and reed margins, while raptors patrol overhead in search of prey. Small mammals inhabit the reed beds and drier margins, and the marshland vegetation—salt-tolerant grasses, sedges, and herbaceous plants—forms the foundation of this intricate food web. The park's mosaic of habitats creates pockets of extraordinary biodiversity within a working landscape that humans have shaped as much as nature has.

Website np-lauwersmeer.nl

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Recurvirostra avosetta

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Branta bernicla

Branta canadensis

Branta leucopsis

Bar-headed Goose

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchus

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Cygnus columbianus

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Tadorna ferruginea

Spatula querquedula

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Anas platyrhynchos

White-cheeked Pintail

Anas bahamensis

Northern Pintail

Rosy-billed Pochard

Aythya fuligula

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Mergellus albellus

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Cuculus canorus

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

Rallus aquaticus

Gallinula chloropus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Pluvialis squatarola

European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Eurasian Dotterel

Eudromias morinellus

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Black-tailed Godwit

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Gallinago gallinago

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Tringa glareola

Common Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Calidris canutus

Calidris pugnax

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Calidris alpina

Calidris minuta

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Hydroprogne caspia

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Great Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Egretta garzetta

Pandion haliaetus

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Common Kingfisher

Falco tinnunculus

Falco columbarius

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Garrulus glandarius

Corvus frugilegus

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Eurasian Penduline Tit

Remiz pendulinus

Bearded Reedling

Panurus biarmicus

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Riparia riparia

Hirundo rustica

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Acrocephalus palustris

Icterine Warbler

Hippolais icterina

Locustella luscinioides

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Regulus regulus

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Turdus torquatus

Erithacus rubecula

Luscinia svecica

Saxicola rubetra

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Anthus pratensis

Anthus spinoletta

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Linaria cannabina

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Rough-legged Buzzard

Red-breasted Goose

Branta ruficollis

Branta hutchinsii

Anser caerulescens

Tundra Bean Goose

Anser serrirostris

Lesser White-fronted Goose

Anser erythropus

Black-necked Swan

Cygnus melancoryphus

Cairina moschata

Chenonetta jubata

Spatula versicolor

Mareca sibilatrix

Red-crested Pochard

Ferruginous Duck

Somateria mollissima

Melanitta nigra

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Oxyura jamaicensis

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Coturnix coturnix

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Porzana porzana

Podiceps auritus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

Chilean Flamingo

Phoenicopterus chilensis

Pacific Golden Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Sociable Lapwing

Vanellus gregarius

White-tailed Lapwing

Vanellus leucurus

Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Lymnocryptes minimus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolor

Phalaropus fulicarius

Terek Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Calidris falcinellus

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Calidris acuminata

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Calidris subruficollis

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis

Sternula albifrons

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon nilotica

Chlidonias hybrida

Chlidonias niger

Sterna paradisaea

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Larus cachinnans

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Larus hyperboreus

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinus

Stercorarius skua

Thick-billed Murre

Red-throated Loon

Black-throated Loon

Ciconia ciconia

Northern Gannet

Gulosus aristotelis

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Ardeola ralloides

Circus macrourus

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Western Barn Owl

Short-eared Owl

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Eurasian Wryneck

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

European Green Woodpecker

Woodchat Shrike

Eurasian Magpie

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulus

Poecile montanus

Lullula arborea

Eremophila alpestris

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Turdus philomelos

Turdus viscivorus

Common Blackbird

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Phoenicurus ochruros

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Passer domesticus

Prunella modularis

Citrine Wagtail

Motacilla citreola

Motacilla cinerea

Anthus trivialis

European Rock Pipit

Anthus petrosus

Fringilla montifringilla

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinus

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Linaria flavirostris

Acanthis flammea

Loxia curvirostra

Serinus serinus

Eurasian Siskin

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicus

Emberiza citrinella

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana

Taiga Bean Goose

Aix galericulata

Callonetta leucophrys

Spatula cyanoptera

Blue-winged Teal

Spatula discors

Marmaronetta angustirostris

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Melanitta fusca

Bucephala albeola

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

California Quail

Callipepla californica

Red-legged Partridge

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Tachymarptis melba

Black-winged Pratincole

Glareola nordmanni

Larus glaucoides

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudus

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

European Storm Petrel

Hydrobates pelagicus

Leach's Storm Petrel

Hydrobates leucorhous

Northern Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialis

Sooty Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinus

Great White Pelican

Pelecanus onocrotalus

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

Bearded Vulture

Gypaetus barbatus

Griffon Vulture

Parabuteo unicinctus

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Nymphicus hollandicus

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Pallas's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus proregulus

Locustella fluviatilis

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Curruca nisoria

Thrush Nightingale

Luscinia luscinia

African Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus

Estrilda astrild

Richard's Pipit

Anthus richardi

Cretzschmar's Bunting

Emberiza caesia

Siberian Stonechat

Saxicola maurus

Lepus europaeus

Microtus arvalis

European Pine Marten

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Common Fallow Deer

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Myocastor coypus

Eurasian Water Vole

Arvicola amphibius

Clethrionomys glareolus

Ondatra zibethicus

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Eurasian Harvest Mouse

Micromys minutus

Rattus norvegicus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Eurasian Pygmy Shrew

Myotis dasycneme

Daubenton's Myotis

Myotis daubentonii

Nyctalus noctula

Nathusius's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus nathusii

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Brown Long-eared Bat

Plecotus auritus

European Badger

Mustela erminea

Mustela nivalis

European Polecat

Mustela putorius

Halichoerus grypus

Panglobal Common Dolphin

Delphinus delphis

Harbor Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena

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