Bird watching site

For the period 2005 to 2013, 8149 observations made at the Gambsheim dam were entered in www.faune-alsace.org. They concern 179 bird species. 60 species breed there, 68 can be observed in winter and 135 are visible during migration (the same species can nest, winter and pass through the site at the same time).
Among the breeders, waterbirds occupy an important place. Several species of ducks breed on the site: Mallard, Shoveler, Scaup, Scaup, Belon's Tadorne, etc. Le Petit Gravelot occupies bare gravel areas. In the early 2000s, the upstream muster housed a colony of Black-headed Gulls of more than 4000 pairs, with a few pairs of melanocephalic Gulls mixed in. Seagulls now nest only occasionally on the site, which is not the case for the Leukophone Gull, which occurs every year.

In winter, nearly 3000 ducks, coots, grebes and cormorants are counted every January. The most common species is the Mallard, followed by the Scaup, Piping Duck, Teal, Teal, Scaup, Great Cormorant, Coot, etc.
During migration, the vast bodies of water allow Black Tern, Pygmy Gulls, Black-necked Grebes, Ospreys, Ospreys, etc. to feed during their travels, while mudflats and exposed areas are covered by a large number of shorebird species (Cocorli Sandpipers, minute, variable, Snipe, Barking Knights, Harlequin, White breech, Leg, Giant, etc.). Large waders such as the Agrette garzette and the Spoonbill are sometimes observed on the site, as are the rare Leukoptera Tern, Caspian Tern, White Stilt and Sabine's Gull.