A lowland fen landscape along an ancient Neckar river loop, sheltering one of Hesse's richest bird communities.
Bruchwiesen bei Büttelborn
The Bruchwiesen bei Büttelborn is a protected nature and landscape area in southern Hesse, Germany, situated in the district of Groß-Gerau between the community of Büttelborn and the Groß-Gerau districts of Berkach and Dornheim. It lies within a former course of the Neckar River, the so-called Altneckar, whose abandoned meanders have given rise to one of the largest remaining lowland fen complexes in the state of Hesse.
The site is recognized as a hotspot of biological diversity, with up to around 120 bird species recorded. It serves as a particularly important breeding and resting area for the White Stork, which nests here in more than 30 pairs, and it is nationally and internationally significant for the highly endangered Little Crake, hosting a substantial share of the tiny remaining European population.
The protection area combines wet grassland communities, reedbeds, tall herb vegetation, and adjoining species-rich deciduous woodland, creating a mosaic that supports rare orchids, specialized insects, and a wide range of wetland birds. Together with neighboring reserves, it forms part of the EU Birds Directive site "Hessische Altneckarschlingen," reinforcing its role within the regional conservation network of the Rhine-Main lowlands.
