Migration route for many bird species
Bridges often function as a barrier, causing birds to choose other migration routes and keeping them away from feeding and staging areas close to the bridge. In poor visibility, birds also run the risk of flying into the bridge pylons and cables. Light from a bridge can also confuse birds. Finally, birds can be indirectly affected if their food, e.g. mussels, is affected negatively by the fixed link. A tunnel can also affect access to food for birds, but the barrier effect will generally be less, as only the ramps will be visible to them.
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Birds’ habitats A bridge can also have a positive impact. Parts of the bridge below the water level may create artificial reefs, where algae and substrate-attached animals such as mussels can grow. This can provide the birds with new areas to find food. Unique bird life must be protected These basic surveys are supplemented by, for instance, surveys of the reactions of birds to existing bridges. All data collected is integrated into statistical models for the environmental study, and these provide a substantive basis for evaluating how the fixed link would affect bird life.
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The Fehmarnbelt plays an important part in the African-Eurasian bird migration route and hundreds of thousands of land birds including birds of prey, pigeons and songbirds, cross the Belt every year along a North-South transport corridor.
Water birds migrating from East to West also gather at the narrow strait of the Fehmarnbelt. The most recent studies show that approx. 300,000 eider duck pass through the Fehmarnbelt every year. Tens of thousands of other migrating water birds can also be counted.
