Wild animals "under stress"

Spring fever among the feathered game

The young drakes are already vying for mates.

(Bild: Karl-Heinz Volkmar Naturfoto)

Local hunters are now wholeheartedly looking after the feathered returnees with all their energy.

Barely back from the south, the stress begins for our migratory birds: finding mates, securing territories, laying eggs. The spring sun may herald the end of winter torpor for us, but for wild ducks, geese and raptors it means one thing above all: there is no time to lose!

There before winter is over
Mallards are often there before winter is even over. The breeding season is short and the choice of mates is turbulent. Young drakes engage in frenzied chases until the eggs are laid. The greylag goose is different: it lives in stable pair relationships, travels in family groups and returns from Spain or France in late winter. The turtle dove only flutters in from Africa from April and remains faithful to its "wedding" partner for the rest of its life.

It is thanks to hunters and conservationists that these species can still find suitable breeding grounds. They create ponds, look after wetlands and install nesting aids. Without them, the native returnees would have long since fallen by the wayside.