Berlin, July 22nd, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – Germany’s white stork population has reached its highest recorded level, according to the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), which expects around 15,000 breeding pairs nationwide this season — more than five times the number recorded four decades ago.
“Even 100 years ago, there weren’t this many storks”, said Bernd Petri of NABU’s national white stork working group according to German-language publications. “Unlike many other species, storks are now in a good conservation state.”
The picture looked very different in the 1980s. At that time, the two German states together counted fewer than 3,000 breeding pairs, and storks had disappeared entirely from many regions, NABU said. The decline was driven by food shortages linked to intensified agriculture, the draining of wetlands, and dangers along the birds’ migration routes. The turnaround, the organization said, came through conservation measures such as rewetting drained moors and managing grassland in ways tailored to the species’ needs.
A Shift From Eastern To Western Migration Routes
The storks themselves have also adapted. A growing number have significantly shortened their autumn migrations, boosting their survival odds in the process. “A so-called migratory divide runs through Germany. East of it, storks still migrate in winter via the Balkans and the Middle East to Africa, just as they always have. West of the divide, however, they now only travel as far as Spain”, Petri explained. There, he noted, storks find abundant food on rice paddies and at landfill sites.
“Thirty years ago, three-quarters of our storks were eastern migrants. Today, that ratio has flipped, with three-quarters now heading west. Broadly speaking, the center of stork population has shifted from the Elbe to the Rhine”, Petri said.
Highest Density Found In Hesse
White storks now breed in every German state, with Lower Saxony (2,737 pairs) and Baden-Württemberg (2,602 pairs) home to the largest numbers of breeding pairs last year. According to NABU, a density of six to seven pairs per 100 square kilometers is considered strong.
The highest concentration, however, is found in the state of Hesse: The district of Groß-Gerau alone counts 90 stork pairs per 100 square kilometers. Other hotspots include the Middle Franconia region of Bavaria and Upper Swabia in southwestern Germany.
The Berlin Spectator
https://berlinspectator.com/
Newsletter: Subscribe here
Contact: berlinspectator (at) gmail.com
Our sister website (in German):
Berlin Minus
https://berlinminus.de/
