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Description
There's no suggestion that Strasbourg city centre is an idyllic birdwatching destination for anyone visiting on a given morning or afternoon, and day-trippers should come with fairly low expectations. However, for those able to put in the time and effort, it offers some of the finest and most diverse inner-city birding around.
Various factors make Strasbourg a popular venue for birds. These include: its location on a North-South migration route near the Rhine, between the Vosges and Black Forest mountain ranges; the surrounding water (the city centre being located on an island that also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site); and the large number of church spires and derelict lofts.
Pigeons are obviously ubiquitous but are not limited to holub divý. holub plúžik can be found nesting in unused chimneys and holub hrivnák are seen regularly. vrana čierna are constantly heard marking out their territory and are occasionally joined by a havran čierny or two. Gulls are mostly čajka žltonohá and čajka smejivá.
bocian biely are perhaps Alsace's most iconic bird and are commonly seen over the city, largely thanks to the highly successful breeding programme at the nearby Parc de l'Orangerie. Other large birds that can be watched passing overhead - usually following a NE-SW route - are kačica divá, kormorán veľký, bernikľa veľká, húska štíhla and volavka popolavá.
Raptors are surprisingly common. sokol sťahovavý can be spotted on the cathedral, where they have a nesting box. jastrab krahulec and sokol myšiar (pustovka) are regular urban hunters. myšiak hôrny are often mobbed by crows. And both haja červená and haja tmavá can be seen high up during migration periods.
One species that's easy to find between late April and late July is the dážďovník obyčajný. They're particularly numerous between Place Kléber and Place Broglie.
Common passerines include drozd čierny, which can be heard singing in the evening, sýkorka veľká, sýkorka belasá, vrabec domový and žľtochvost domový, the latter of which nest here. There are also quite a lot of zelienka obyčajná. Occasional sightings include trasochvost biely, červienka obyčajná, trasochvost horský, stehlík obyčajný and kolibiarik čipčavý.
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Access
Come to Strasbourg by any means: bus, train, tram, car... If you're driving, then the Opera car park on Place Broglie is quite useful for motorway access and for not getting caught up in the one-way system.