Saving threatened owls in Germany – DW – 07/30/2025
In the orchard meadows nestled between Bonn and Cologne, conservation volunteers Andrea Caviezel and Jonas Bode are on summer patrol—checking nesting boxes for little owls, one of the country's most vulnerable owl species. The carefully placed nesting boxes offer a lifeline to the elusive birds. With food availability and habitat quality playing a major role, successful broods—like the four healthy chicks found during one inspection—signal hope. The chicks are fitted with identification rings so they can be tracked by conservationists. These young owls will soon learn to hunt mice and beetles from low perches, provided the grass remains short and the environment intact.
🌾 Shrinking Habitats, Expanding Efforts
But habitat loss is a key problem for the owls. Prime owl territory is rapidly vanishing. Orchard meadows, once rich habitats, are being cleared for development or left ungrazed—diminishing ideal nesting grounds. Yet, there's progress too: webcams now monitor the nests of Eurasian eagle owls, a species rescued from the brink of extinction in the 1960s. Today, over 850 breeding pairs thrive across Germany thanks to groups like the Society for the Conservation of Owls (EGE). With 75 nesting boxes in the Bonn-Cologne area and half already occupied, long-term conservation efforts are clearly bearing fruit.
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🏥 Second Chances Through Rescue and Rehabilitation
But not all owls make it unaided. For orphaned or injured birds, rescuer Dirk Sindhu and his shelter provide crucial care. Each summer, up to 15 birds arrive in need—some pulled from rivers, others found weak and stranded. Using surrogate parent birds, including eagle owls and buzzards, Sindhu ensures chicks are reared with proper instinctual guidance. The highlight comes when a rehabilitated bird—like today's exhausted buzzard—is released back into the wild. It's proof that with compassion, tradition, and teamwork, even the most delicate wildlife can take flight again.
This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication.
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