Germany: Thousands of cranes arrive at resting sites

Thousands of cranes have begun arriving at resting sites across northern and eastern Germany. This migration follows a devastating period last year when bird flu caused the deaths of at least 20,000 cranes nationwide, with the Brandenburg region of Linum being particularly hard hit.

Günter Nowald, managing director of Kranichschutz Deutschland, expressed optimism that a similar catastrophe will not be repeated this year. While the current season has started without major incidents, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut notes that the exact risk level remains unpredictable. The institute anticipates a slight increase in virus detections among poultry and wild birds for September 2026.

Major resting areas include the Baltic Sea coast in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where approximately 10,000 cranes were recently counted, as well as wetlands in Brandenburg and Lower Saxony. The birds are gathering to build energy reserves before continuing their flight south.