Germany records over 15,000 breeding white stork pairs, highest since records began

The German Nature Conservation Union (NABU) reports that more than 15,000 white‑stork breeding pairs are present nationwide this season, a figure five times higher than the fewer than 3,000 pairs recorded in the 1980s. The species now breeds in all 16 federal states, with the largest numbers in Niedersachsen (2,737 pairs) and Baden‑Württemberg (2,602 pairs). Hessen boasts the highest density, about 90 pairs per 100 km².

According to NABU’s white‑stork specialist Bernd Petri, “Selbst vor 100 Jahren gab es nicht so viele Störche.” The birds’ migration pattern has shifted: three‑quarters now head west only to Spain instead of the traditional eastward route across the Balkans to Africa, a change that has shortened their autumn journey and improved survival rates. Petri adds, “Vor 30 Jahren waren drei Viertel unserer Störche Ostzieher, heute ist das Verhältnis umgekehrt.” Conservation actions such as wetland rewetting and stork‑friendly grassland management are credited with the rebound, although isolated threats like plastic‑band ingestion persist in some regions.