According to the European Union Birds Directive, Member States are obliged to report Special Protected Areas (SPA) to the European Commission. This reporting requires documenting the existence and state of each species’ population and mapping their respective habitats. The objective of this documentation is to develop a management plan for each SPA, including conservation goals for the mapped habitats and a plan of action for each species. On behalf of Baden- Württemberg’s state forest research center (FVA), UNIQUE carried out this mapping for one of Baden-Württemberg’s biggest SPA, the “Nordschwarzwald,” documenting nine bird species on 27.000 hectares of forest.

• Coordinating field work of highly qualified and specialized ornithologists.
• Preliminary delineation of habitats based on aerial photos and forest information.
• Query species presence from local specialists and forest officers.
• Final delineation of habitats and conservation areas for future habitat management.
• Written reports and measurements plans for the future management plans.