The picture shows a dark blue river in the middle, which flows through a densely overgrown forest. The forest is on the left and right, with the right side illuminated by the sun and glowing. On the left, a large tree stands out, casting a shadow on the river and creating the dark blue. A little further downstream, a tree trunk lies across the river. The densely overgrown forest on either side is bursting with shrubs and meadows in various shades of light and dark green. The trees stand tall and are also various shades of green.

Focus on environmental
measures

The river Enns was one of the pilot regions of the EU-funded Austria-wide LIFE-Iris (Integrated River Solutions Austria) project, which supports integrative planning approaches as a new way of ecologically restoring our waters while improving flood protection.

The LIFE WeNatureEnns project will significantly increase the amount of high quality floodplain habitats available, including hedgerows and meadows, which will benefit a range of birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates. 
In addition to the objectives of the Habitats Directives, the project will support the requirements of the Water Framework Directive to achieve good ecological status. By increasing the water storage capacity of the system, the project will also contribute to achieving the objectives of the Floods Directive.

The project LIFE WeNature Enns project is a flagship project which, with its large-scale, holistic approach, goes far beyond previous approaches to the restoration of floodplains. The costs are therefore considerable. However, as scientific studies show, such approaches are necessary for floodplain restoration, as small-scale measures generally do not produce the desired results.

A vivid blue and turquoise kingfisher perches on a gray log, its sharp profile standing out against a blurry green background.

The kingfisher (Alcedo Atthis)

The kingfisher is an unmistakable, colourful bird the size of a sparrow with a blue-greenish iridescent upper side and an orange-colored breast and belly. The bill is long and dagger-like. Females can be distinguished from males by the reddish-orange colouration of the underside of the otherwise black bill. The kingfisher has short, reddish-colored legs. The tail is extremely short. Young birds are duller and greener in color. The somewhat sharp call (“tji”) often draws attention to a sitting or flying bird.

Kingfishers are strictly territorial; they remain in their breeding territory all year round, provided they are not forced to move by external factors (especially icing of the water). The eggs are laid on the ground at the widened end of a self-dug, roughly horizontal and 50-90 cm deep tube. Nesting sites are primarily found on the slopes of flowing waters and steep banks (drop-offs) on standing waters, but also on embankments. Kingfishers feed mainly on small freshwater fish and, in summer, also on aquatic insect larvae.

Habitat: fish-rich, naturally flowing waters and still waters

Photo: Christian Ragger
Source: Natura2000, Animal species to be protected

The little bird with the name Little Ringed Plover stands between grasses and stones. It has a white belly and a light brown head and back. Its facial plumage is dark brown to black.

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

The Little Ringed Plover is a small, delicate bird with a body length of about 14 to 18 cm. Its plumage is grey-brown on top and bright white underneath. Characteristic features are the black eye stripe and black throat bandage, which is particularly noticeable during the breeding season. The legs are light yellow to orange, and the bill is short and dark.

In terms of behaviour, the little ringed plover is very active and agile. It prefers open, sparsely vegetated gravel and sand areas where it searches for insects, spiders and small molluscs. It often moves very quickly over the ground and then suddenly stops to peck at its prey.

The little ringed plover is now an endangered species, mainly due to the loss of its natural habitat.

Habitats: unspoilt river banks with gravel and sand.

Photo: Thomas Kaufmann

A red-backed shrike perches on a twig, with blurred grasses in the background. The bird's plumage displays distinct color separation with shades of gray, white, and rust-brown.

Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio)

At 16-18 cm in length, the red-backed shrike is the smallest Central European shrike species. Males and females differ significantly in coloration. The adult male has a light pink breast and belly and no banding on the flanks, while the underside of the female is yellowish-white with gray cross-banding.

The red-backed shrike likes to perch and hunt for beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and other insects, which it spears on thorns and pointed twigs. In this way, it builds up a “larder”. It builds its rather large but very well-hidden nest in the shelter of dense thorn bushes. The red-backed shrike is a migratory bird. It returns to its breeding grounds in Styria at the beginning of May.

Habitat: small-parcelled, structurally rich cultivated land with nutrient-poor or vegetation-free grassland and fields, equipped with thorny hedges and copses

Photo: Christian Ragger
Source: Natura2000, Animal species to be protected

The sandpiper is a small wading bird. It has a white body and brown-grey pied plumage and an elongated, pointed beak.

Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

The common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) is a small wading bird in the snipe family. It has a body length of about 18 to 20.5 cm and a wingspan of 32 to 35 cm. Its plumage is brown on the upper side and has a fine pattern, while the underside is white. Characteristic features are the white wedge between the base of the wings and the chest, and the white wing bars when in flight.

It is known for constantly bobbing up and down with its hindquarters when walking on the ground. It is a fast and agile runner and rarely flies. Its diet consists mainly of small crabs, molluscs, spiders and insects, which it finds in shallow water. When in danger, it often feigns injury to distract predators from its nest.

Habitat: The common sandpiper inhabits the stony banks of rivers, streams and lakes, as well as coastal areas. It prefers areas with low vegetation and gravel banks, which provide it with suitable breeding sites.

Photo: Billinger

Two fish in shallow water over a gravel bed: one dark with a speckled pattern, the other with a reddish hue. The clear water surface reflects light, enhancing their natural colors.

Huchen (Hucho Hucho)

The Huchen is a fish eater. On average, this fish is between 110 and 130 cm long and weighs 10-30 kg. The Huchen reaches sexual maturity at the age of 3 - 5 years for males and 4 - 6 years for females and a length of 60 - 70 cm. During the spawning season in spring (end of March to beginning of May), it often carries out spawning migrations upstream over several kilometers. It spawns in shallow water with a gravelly and stony substrate.

Habitat: clean, larger rivers in the transition area from the grayling to the barbel regions

Photo: Clemens Ratschan
Source: Natura2000, Animal species to be protected

A brown-spotted fish with fan-like fins rests on rocky substrate underwater, surrounded by plant debris.

Bullhead (Cottus gobio)

The bullhead leads a nocturnal lifestyle and, if possible, hides under stones and other shelters during the day. Due to its benthic lifestyle, the swim bladder is reduced. Cottus typically moves jerkily along the bottom of the water “hopping”. The juveniles bury themselves up to 1 m deep in the cavity system.

It is a nocturnal demersal fish with a spindle-shaped body, a large, broad head (broad in males, more pointed in females), smooth, scaleless skin and a reduced swim bladder that grows to around 12 to 16 cm long. Their pelvic fins are pectoral.

Habitat: oxygen-rich, coarse gravel streams and mountain lakes

Photo: Clemens Ratschan
Source: Natura2000, Animal species to be protected

The yellow-bellied toad is a common species in mountainous and hilly regions. Its belly is decorated with a striking yellow pattern.

Yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata)

The yellow-bellied toad is a common species in the mountains and hills, where it is most often found between 210 and 800 metres above sea level. When threatened, the toads assume the ‘boat position’, i.e. they bend their bodies so that the yellow-black spotted underside of their chest, throat and extremities is visible (‘toad reflex’).

Habitats: open cultural landscape; wet meadows; marshes; unregulated streams; forests, especially riparian forests; field shrubs, typical first colonisers of newly formed bodies of water

Source: Natura2000, protected animals

The picture shows alluvial forests with black alder and common ash. You can see a bright blue sky. Various trees and bushes.

Alluvial forests with black alder (Alnus glutinosa) and common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) (91E0)

This habitat type encompasses a wide range of different forest communities in the floodplains. Stands in the immediate vicinity of flowing waters are characterised by regular flooding.

Distribution and abundance: along flowing waters throughout the Alpine region, often in linear formations

Species: black alder, grey alder, white poplar, black poplar, white willow, purple willow, wicker willow, etc.

Source: Natura2000, protected species: animals

Foto: Lorem ipsum / VERBUND

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