A reservoir sanctuary in the Sauerland, hosting tens of thousands of wintering and migratory waterbirds.
Möhnesee Bird Sanctuary
Möhnesee Bird Sanctuary is a European Special Protection Area (SPA) in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Designated in 1983 under the EU Birds Directive, it covers roughly twelve square kilometers centered on the Möhnetalsperre reservoir, where the wooded slopes of the Sauerland meet the flatter Westphalian Bight. The site is recognized internationally as a key staging and wintering ground for waterbirds, regularly hosting up to around 20,000 resting ducks, mergansers, and related species at peak season.
The protected area is overwhelmingly aquatic, with standing and flowing inland waters accounting for the vast majority of the habitat. Small wooded sections and scattered settlements round out the landscape. Beyond its role for migratory species such as goosander, common goldeneye, and common pochard, the sanctuary also supports breeding birds including the common kingfisher and middle spotted woodpecker, as well as passage visitors like the black stork and red kite.
As part of the Natura 2000 network, Möhnesee connects with the surrounding nature park landscape, most notably the Arnsberger Wald Nature Park and the Hevearm und Hevesee nature reserve, reinforcing a broader regional corridor of forest, water, and wetland habitat in central Westphalia.
