Berchtesgaden National Park

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Overview

Situated in the far south-eastern corner of Germany, Berchtesgaden is bordered on three sides by Austria and is famous for its superb mountain scenery. The park is popular with climbers and walkers and also skiers in winter. The park consists of four main massifs of which the most impressive are Watzmann (2,713m) and Hochkalter (2,607m). These are separated by three deep valleys, one of which contains the famous Konigsee, a 200m deep glacially-formed lake. The Obersee is another attractive lake in the south-east of the park.

Birds

Notable Species

Birdlife is typical of a central European mountain area with Golden Eagle and Rock Ptarmigan, Eurasian Crag Martin, Alpine Accentor, Wallcreeper and Snow Finch. The extensive coniferous forests on the lower slopes have a wide range of birds with numerous passerines such as Crested Tit and Firecrest, Common Redstart and Spotted Nutcracker and warblers including Western Bonelli's Warbler, Wood Warbler and Garden Warbler. Eurasian Eagle, Tengmalm's Owl and Eurasian Pygmy Owl can be found by the careful searcher, woodpeckers are common and include Black Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker and White-backed Woodpecker.

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Grey Heron, White Stork, Mute Swan, Mallard, Garganey, Tufted Duck, Western Honey-Buzzard, Hen Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Grey Partridge, Peregrine Falcon, Rock Ptarmigan, Hazel Grouse, Black Grouse, Western Capercaillie, Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Woodcock, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Tawny Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, Long-eared Owl, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Eurasian Skylark, Eurasian Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Bohemian Waxwing, Common Dipper, Common Wren, Dunnock, Alpine Accentor, Eurasian Robin, Nightingale, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Marsh Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Crested Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Wallcreeper, Common Treecreeper, Short-toed Treecreeper, Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Common Jay, Common Magpie, Spotted Nutcracker, Red-billed Chough, Alpine Chough, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Snow Finch, Chaffinch, Brambling, European Serin, Citril Finch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Common Crossbill, Common Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Yellowhammer

Other Wildlife

Mammals present in the park include Red Deer Cervus elaphus and Chamois Rupicapra rupicapra, and Ibex Capra ibex has been introduced from Italy's Gran Paradiso NP. Carnivores such as Pine Marten Martes martes and Beech Marten Martes foina, Badger Meles meles, Stoat Mustela erminea and Weasel Mustela nivalis are common.

Site Information

History and Use

To do

Areas of Interest

To do

Access and Facilities

The park has marked trails and alpine huts (summer only) as well as information centres at Berchtesgaden and Konigsee. Accommodation is plentiful in the villages around the park. Reached from Berchtesgaden, 18km south-east of Bad Reichenhall.

Contact Details

To do

External Links

To do

Content and images originally posted by Steve