List of species of birds of Lake Neusiedl — area (as of 11/2013) Vers. 2

Ornithology is often referred to as scientia amabilis and as the most beautiful hobby in the world, which is quite justified but only touches one of the many sides of bird watching. Birds delight us with their singing, feather colors, their flight and they fascinate us with the mystery of bird migration. In protected areas and beyond, birds are also those animal groups that help us in many ways in research because they respond to any change in their habitat or because it provides us with clues to the effects of climate change. The Neusiedler See region and above all the sub-areas of the cross-border national park, which was more than 20 years ago, are at the forefront of Central European target areas for hobby ornithologists for several reasons: In addition to the incomparable variety of pervasive, overwintering and breeding species in equally diverse habitats, it is the open landscape where you can make your personal observations of nature with good binoculars and a little experience from the way; and because the Pannonian climate provides for a very early spring, a hot summer, a long autumn and a snow-poor winter, here birdwatching is not limited to a few months a year. The contribution of the Neusiedler See National Park — Seewinkel Fertö — Hanság goes beyond land management and monitoring of selected bird species: Area supervision and visitor guidance, pre-information and information on site, an extensive visitor program and current tips on the respective season are part of our tasks. The network of observation platforms and towers covers all major habitat types. With this list, the authors have compiled only a small part of their expertise on the avifauna of Lake Neusiedl — area u & 776;considerably. For visitors, however, this compressed list forms the basis for a better understanding of what can be discovered (or has already been discovered here). We would like to thank the authors and BirdLife Austria for the repeated good cooperation. As a visitor, we wish you unforgettable moments at the lacquers, on the edge of the reeds and in the pastures of the cross-border national park. (Kirchberger & Reischl)