Animals - animals in the landscape

Elegance on legs. The stork (Ciconiidae) is represented worldwide with 19 species. Depending on the species, its long beak is usually red in color and the plumage appears in shades of black and white. Storks mainly live in wet areas with meadows, arable land and shallow lakes. They are diurnal. Their diet consists of frogs, crabs, tadpoles, snails, fish...

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 ...

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). He belongs to the deer family and is a so-called forehead weapon bearer. This means the mighty antlers of the males, with which they defend their territory during the mating season. The older a deer is, the more branches it has. According to their age, the weight of one weight is ...

The returnees. The European wolf (Canis lupus lupus) belongs zoologically to the carnivores (Carnivora) and to the family of dogs (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 30 years. Wolves are se ...

Leprechaun-like figure, big eyes and daring climbing skills: On the popularity scale, with us humans, the squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is right at the top. The diurnal animals are apparently constantly busy. In summer they are in search of food in the mornings and afternoons (but never forget their afternoon nap).

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

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.

Reinecke Fuchs - a survivor.  Thanks to its adaptability, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is one of the most successful predators on earth. Over the centuries he has adapted himself very well to people and has even followed him into the cities.

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

master of camouflage. The brown hare (Lepus europaeus) can be found everywhere with the exception of densely populated areas, because it is very adaptable and loves open habitats (meadows, pastures, fields), but also gets along 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 heraldic animal of the goddess Pallas Athene. It owes its scientific name "Athene noctua" to this myth. He is one of the smallest representatives of the owls and his plumage camouflages him perfectly. Dark brown on the top with lighter speckles, light gray on the underside. A flat head with n ...

Silent hunter. The tawny owl's calls sound dark and eerie, and are used in many thrillers as an insert to night scenes. Tawny owls mark their territory with these sounds, which can be heard especially in autumn and late winter. The silent hunters are well camouflaged and have a gray-brown or red-brown basic color of their plumage. The big head of the EU ...

Largest European owl species. He stands out with his massive body, thick head, large orange-yellow eyes and distinctive feather ears. With 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 eagle owl (Bubo bubo). The bird of prey is almost as big ...

The insect specialist. The honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) is similar in shape to the European buzzards, but has little in common with them. It is a food specialist and feeds mainly on wasps, bumblebees, bees and their larvae. Its claws are slightly curved and created for digging up wasp nests and the feathers on the face are scale-like and ...

Noticeably short-lived. Above all, the removal of old and dead wood, the felling of old trees, the planting of non-native species and the loss of old trees without replacement in avenues and orchards are seen as the reasons for the decline in the animal species. The stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) is on the nationwide Red List in Category 2 ...

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 guy  and one great beetle, that is the rose chafer (Cetonia aurata). Occurring throughout Germany, it belongs to the superfamily of scarab beetles (Scarabaeideae) 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-fingered insect (Tettigonia viridissima) or the large green hay horse looks mighty impressive with a body length of 30 - 40 mm. And this is only about the pure body length. Wings and talons are not measured. In addition, the females also have a 32 mm long laying tube. A bit like a tropical…

Peaceful plant sucker. Graphosoma italicum is the scientific name of the striped bug. Their trademark: black stripes on a red background on the upper side, red with black dots on the underside. The striking dress of the beautiful insect serves as a deterrent and signals to predators that it is inedible. The animal is often mistaken for a beetle, but it g...

Cozy flower visitors – Bumblebees (Bomba), they belong to the colony-forming insects and to the genus of “real bees”. However, they form the so-called summer states, 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…

Mighty magnificent. The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) was 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 of the green lizards and in Central Europe is usually 18-20 cm long. Characteristic for the variably drawn reptiles is ...

Between land and water. The Moor Frog (Rana arvalis), a small species of frog with a maximum size of seven centimeters. Usually light to dark brown in color, it is quite inconspicuous until the frog girls appear. Then the males show what they can do and develop an intense blue color. Spawning season over, look over!

In Germany, the M ...

The master swimmer! Otters (Lutera lutera) are on the Red List, are fur-bearers, loners, 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…

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 ...

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…