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Résumé :
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The flyway of the globally threatened Aquatic Warbler, which breeds in only less than 40 mire tracts in central Europe, crosses at least partially the area of Germany. Due to the secret and elusive behaviour of the species, most records at stopover sites refer to captures for bird ringing. In the period 1977-2012, out of a total of 188 Aquatic Warblers ringed in East Germany (so-called "Neue Lander", the former GDR) 119 birds have been resting migrants at stopover sites. Most of these migrants have been captured between late July and late September. The stopover site with the by far most records is the Helme reservoir in central Germany at both sides of the border between Thuringia and Sachsen-Anhalt. From 1982 to 2012 a total of 51 Aquatic Warblers has been ringed there. Stopover habitat at this site is a margin of a large reedbed with adjacent wet bulrush and sedge grassland. Whereas until 2010 only up to three Aquatic Warblers have been ringed there annually, captured increased to 11 birds in 2011 and 9 birds in 2012 through the use of tape lures. The ringing period at the Helme reservoir is performed from 20th of August to 20th of September. It is possible that there also occur Aquatic Warblers outside of this time window. Finally the author raises the question, whether there could exist more undiscovered regular stopover sites in Germany that could be detected by systematic mist-netting and tape-luring.
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