Animals - animals in the landscape

Silent hunter. The calls of the tawny owl (Strix aluco) sound dark and eerie, and are often used as background music for nighttime scenes in crime dramas. Tawny owls use these calls to mark their territory, and they are most often heard in autumn and late winter. These silent hunters are well camouflaged, with a greyish-brown or reddish-brown base color for their plumage. The large…

Elegance on legs. Storks (Ciconiidae) are represented worldwide by 19 species. Their long beaks are usually reddish, depending on the species, and their plumage appears in shades of black and white. Storks live predominantly in wetlands with meadows, fields, and shallow lakes. They are diurnal. Their diet consists of frogs, crayfish, tadpoles, snails, fish…

Persistent flyers. Up to 180 arctic wild geese from Siberian breeding grounds overwinter on the lower one Niederrhein, the largest resting area in Western Europe. In the months they spend here, they eat up fat for the return flight. They look for food mainly on land, rarely bottoming out in the water.

You live by ...

The adaptation artists. The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is the most common and smallest species of the deer family with occurrences all over Europe. It is adaptable, territorial and true to location, favors the mixed forest rich in shrubs with surrounding fields.
Deer are vegetarians and foodies. Her preference is for fine herbs, fresh buds and shoots, fruit, oak ...

The kings. A majestic sight: the red deer (Cervus elaphus). It belongs to the deer family and is a so-called antlered animal. This refers to the powerful antlers of the males, which they use to defend their territory during the mating season. The older a deer is, the more branches it has. The weight of an antler is corresponding to its age…

Between land and water. The moor frog (Rana arvalis), a small frog species reaching a maximum size of seven centimeters. Usually light to dark brown, it is rather inconspicuous until the females appear. Then the males show what they're made of, developing an intense blue coloration. Spawning season over, show's over!

In Germany, the M ...

Natural spectacle in the Zwillbrocker Venn. It is the world's northernmost breeding colony of flamingos (Phoenicopteridae), located in the Zwillbrocker Venn - north of the Naturpark Hohe Mark – has settled since the 1980s. At first there were only a few Chilean flamingos, later European pink flamingos were added. Caribbean and Lesser Flamingos…

Remarkably short-lived. The removal of old and dead wood, the felling of mature trees, the planting of non-native species, and the uncompensated loss of mature trees in avenues and orchards are seen as the main reasons for the decline of this species. The stag beetle (Lucanus cervus ) is listed in category 2 on the nationwide Red List…

With their impish appearance, large eyes, and daring climbing skills, the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a firm favorite with us humans. These diurnal animals seem to be constantly busy. In summer, they forage for food in the mornings and afternoons (but never forget their midday nap).

In autumn they collect food all day and in the winter ...

Real old world pigs and excellent swimmers. The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is probably the most adaptable animal in our cultural landscape.
There is an abundance of food here due to increased corn cultivation and mild winters. This is entirely to the taste of the wild boar, for which two things are particularly important: good hiding places and water.

For the A ...

R2-D2 says hello.
The Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) is a striking member of the Pirolidae family and is one of Europe's medium-sized songbirds. With a length of approximately 25 centimeters and a wingspan of around 40 centimeters, the Golden Oriole is characterized by its vibrant coloring and striking appearance.

Oriolus oriolus is a h…

The Returnees. The European wolf (Canis lupus lupus) is zoologically classified as a carnivore (Carnivora) and belongs to the dog family (Canidae). Once the most widespread mammal in the world, it has almost completely disappeared from many parts of Europe. Thanks to strict protection, the wolf population has been slowly recovering for the past 30 years. Wolves are…

The world's smallest predator is the mouse weasel (Mustela nivalis). The close relative of the ermine is at home in large parts of Europe.
This small species of marten is at home wherever there is enough food and shelter.

Reynard the Fox – a master of survival. Thanks to its adaptability, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is one of the most successful predators on Earth. Over the centuries, it has adapted remarkably well to humans, even following them into cities.

Foxes are not solitary creatures, as has long been assumed. Although they are often alone in search of food, they live...

Masters of camouflage. The European hare (Lepus europaeus) can be found almost everywhere except in densely populated areas, as it is very adaptable and loves open habitats (meadows, pastures, fields), but also thrives in forests and mountains.

Rabbits are active at dusk and at night. During the mating season, however, the courtship of rival males can be tagged very well...

The beauty queen. Among the night birds, the barn owl (Tyto alba), with its striking white feather veil that falls around its black eyes, is the queen of the night. However, the veil is not used for optics, but rather it collects noises and acts like an amplifier.
The barn owl has fantastic hearing. She can hear noises that are quieter than the ...

The bird of wisdom . It all began in Greek mythology: Here, the little owl is the emblem of the goddess Pallas Athena. It owes its scientific name, "Athene noctua," to this myth. It is one of the smallest members of the owl family, and its plumage provides perfect camouflage. Dark brown above with lighter speckles, light gray below. A flat head with…

The largest European owl species. With its massive body, thick head, large orange-yellow eyes, and distinctive ear tufts, it is quite conspicuous. Reaching a size of up to 70 cm, a maximum wingspan of 180 cm, and a weight of up to 3,2 kg, it is considered the largest European owl: the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo). The bird of prey is almost as large…

The insect specialist. The European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) resembles European buzzards in appearance, but has little in common with them. It is a specialist feeder, feeding primarily on wasps, bumblebees, bees, and their larvae. Its talons are only slightly curved and adapted for digging out wasp nests, and the feathers on its face are scale-like and…

Handsome helpers. In Germany, the rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis) is a particularly protected animal species. It belongs to the scarab beetle family and its relatives include May beetles and rose beetles.
With a size of up to four centimetres, it is one of our largest native insects.

This is what gives the Beetle its name and is bent backwards...

A dazzling and fascinating beetle, that's the rose chafer (Cetonia aurata). Found throughout Germany, it belongs to the superfamily Scarabaeideae (scarab beetles) and is one of the specially protected species in our country (Federal Species Protection Ordinance).

The handsome boy's preferred living area: the well-stocked, natural garden in which he spends his lunchtime…

Useful Riesling! Our largest long-horned grasshopper (Tettigonia viridissima), or great green bush-cricket, looks mighty impressive with a body length of 30–40 mm. And that's just the pure body length. Wings and jumping legs aren't included in the measurement. In addition, the females also have an ovipositor 32 mm long. A bit like a tropical…

Peaceful plant sucker . Graphosoma italicum is the scientific name of the striped bug. Its trademark: black stripes on a red background on its upper side, and red with black spots on its underside. This striking appearance of the beautiful insect serves as a deterrent, signaling to predators that it is unpalatable. The animal is often mistaken for a beetle, but it is actually a striped bug…

Bumblebees (Bomba), friendly flower visitors , belong to the social insects and the genus of "true bees". However, they form so-called summer colonies, which only exist for a few months of the year.

In the spring from March to May, the queens that mated the year before wake up and go in search of a nesting site. The appraisal will be…

Magnificent! The sand lizard ( Lacerta agilis ) has been named "Reptile of the Year 2020" by the German Society for Herpetology and Terrarium Science (DGHT). Lacerta agilis, its scientific name, belongs to the genus Lacerta and typically reaches a length of 18-20 cm in Central Europe. Characteristic of these reptiles, which exhibit variable markings, is…

The master swimmer! European otters (Lutera lutera) are on the Red List, are fur-bearing, solitary animals, master swimmers and love fish.

Standing and flowing waters with naturally overgrown, reed-rich banks are where the otter feels at home and finds shelter and food.

Channeled waters, drained wetlands and built-up and destroyed…