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Potsdam (dpa / bb) - Great Egrets from Eastern Europe overwinter again in Brandenburg.
Hundreds of birds can often be seen in the shallow water of lakes and ponds or on meadows in the north of the country, said the Brandenburg Nature Conservation Union (Nabu).
Thanks to the bright white plumage, the winter guests can be admired from afar and are easily recognizable.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the bird was almost extinct, said Manuela Brecht, nature conservation officer at NABU Brandenburg.
His decorative feathers were used for women's hats.
The existing stocks are therefore protected today, have recovered and expanded considerably.
The birds live from south-east Europe to the Netherlands and northern Poland.
The great egret is not yet one of the breeding birds in Brandenburg.
Sightings were extremely rare until 1975.
While only 16 animals were observed between 1976 and 1980, there were 61 animals in 1998.
In this year's winter bird census, the great egret was registered 203 times in the country.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210202-99-269893 / 2