The birds are on the road for 8 to 15 weeks. They rest at various staging areas all over Europe, in Lebanon, Israel and Africa. The staging areas are called "stepping-stone biotopes," just like their breeding areas in the Elbe floodplain and in the Narew area of Poland.

The goal of the EuroNatur project "Ecological Building-Blocks of Europe" is to preserve important ecological stepping-stones for migratory birds in Europe. The birds can improve their chances of survival, and reduce the dangers of long-distance travel, only with our help.