Tag: Germany

Red List of breeding birds in Rhineland-Palatinate 2025: Barn Owl
The barn owl (Tyto alba) is among the losers on the new Red List in Rhineland-Palatinate: While it was still on the preliminary warning list in 2014, it is now considered critically endangered. The same trend is evident in the spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes).

Red List of breeding birds in Rhineland-Palatinate: 55% of species at risk

Birds shape our landscapes, accompany our everyday lives, and are also sensitive indicators of the state of nature. When their populations shrink, it is almost always a warning sign of profound ecological problems. The new Red List of breeding birds in Rhineland-Palatinate clearly shows: The loss of biodiversity continues to

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Tobias caddisfly – museum specimen from the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich
A museum specimen of the extinct Tobias caddisfly, collected in 1914, in ETH Zurich’s entomological collection. (© Hydropsyche tobiasi – Foto von E. Schmitt, Entomologische Sammlung ETH Zürich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via GBIF)

Tobias’ caddisfly: Germany’s only endemic species to have gone extinct

Inconspicuous, highly specialised insects Caddisflies are among those insects that hardly anyone notices. They are inconspicuous, quiet and do not impose themselves on people. In 2002, the Austrian entomologist Hans Malicky described them aptly as animals that “cause neither harm nor any particular benefit”, that “do not sting and do

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Wind power – a threat to birds, bats, and insects?
A bird in an agricultural landscape in front of wind turbines: Local risks are weighed against global climate and biodiversity effects. ( © Canva Pro)

Between wildlife conservation and climate protection: Does wind power harm birds, bats and insects?

Wind turbines are a key pillar of the energy transition. They generate electricity without burning fossil fuels and therefore help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and curb climate change. During operation they produce neither CO₂ emissions nor air pollutants, require little water, and today rank among the most cost-effective forms of electricity

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Decline in insect biomass
Species-rich meadows are increasingly disappearing from the landscape. As insect species are lost, not only biodiversity declines, but also biomass – with consequences for entire ecosystems.

New study shows: insect biomass decline is primarily driven by species loss

For years, there has been talk of insect decline. People describe silent summer nights, clean windshields, and meadows where hardly anything is buzzing anymore. What was initially dismissed as a subjective impression has now been confirmed: several long-term studies show that insect biomass in Central Europe has declined sharply. The

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