Der Rotmilan im Biosphärengebiet Schwarzwald. Erfassung der Brutreviere im Jahr 2018

the red Kite in the biosphere region Black Forest. a survey of the breeding sites in the year 2018. Naturschutz südl. Oberrhein 10: 17-30. in 2018, raptors were monitored with a special focus on the red Kite (Milvus milvus) in the UNESCO biosphere reserve „Schwarzwald“ (Black Forest), located in Baden-Württemberg, South Germany. the red Kite is a protected species according to German and EU legislation. More than 50 % of the worldwide breeding population occurs in Germany, and 20 % of the German population breeds in Baden-Württemberg, which constitutes a special responsibility for the species. the red Kite is a characteristic raptor species breeding in the Black Forest, indicating the diverse pattern of different landscape structures occurring in the biosphere reserve, such as the mixture of open grasslands and forests. the objective of the study was a comprehensive survey of the breeding territories and nesting sites of the red Kite, carried out from February to July 2018, and an analysis of possible trends by a comparison to a previous survey in 2014.in 2018, we recorded 35 breeding territories in total in the biosphere reserve "Schwarzwald”, corresponding to a breeding density of 4.1 territories per 100 km2 . the nests were built predominantly in fir trees of a mean height of 33.9 ± 4.8 meters, while the nests were on average at 28.5 ± 5.7 meters. the highest territory was at 1’100 meters a.s.l., but most breeding territories were located below 800 meters. in comparison to the year 2014, there was no tendency for changes in territory numbers or for substantial differences in altitudes of breeding territories. however, the locations of the actual breeding sites turned out to be variable: as compared to 2014, only 41 % of the breeding sites were occupied again in 2018, while one third of the breeding pairs apparently changed nesting site, and one third of the territories were established newly. We recommend a long-term monitoring of the red Kite population in the biosphere reserve “Schwarzwald”, e.g. by a volunteering monitoring scheme, in order to secure a robust and reliable documentation of breeding sites and population dynamics over time. this would also support sustainable foresting by preventing unintentional cut down of trees with red Kite nests, and protected forest patches around red Kite nesting sites could serve as core biodiversity habitats. this would not only benefit the red Kite, but many other species as well, and would be in compliance with the UNESCO goals for the biosphere reserve “Schwarzwald”