Böbingen is planning nesting aid: a new home for white storks on the Schlierbach!

Böbingen is planning nesting aid: a new home for white storks on the Schlierbach!

A new habitat for white storks is currently being created in Gewann Weisling near Böbingen. The Schlierbach near the Schützenhaus is being renatured in order to promote hay meadows that are worthy of protection, which could have positive effects on the local fauna, especially on the stork population. The community has also planned to build a nesting aid for white storks on the edge of the forest. This initiative is receiving support: Up to 60 white storks have stayed in the Böbingen area in the last three years, as Gmünder Tagespost reports.

Nabu chairman Armin Dammenmiller emphasized that there is sufficient food supply for the storks in the region, which mainly consists of earthworms, mice and grasshoppers. The planned nesting aid will consist of a mast with a galvanized metal basket and the costs will be around 1300 euros. Maintenance work is necessary as the basket needs to be cleaned annually. The idea was supported by the majority of the Böbingen municipal council, although it is not a mandatory task.

Nesting sites and funding

Local councilor Otto Betz emphasizes that this would be the only nesting aid along the Remstal. This could provide valuable support for the resident storks, who often look for a partner for decades. Andreas Killer from the municipality suggests looking for additional sources of financing to realize the project. The Böbingen app will be used to inform potential supporters, and the nesting aid could be set up as early as autumn/winter 2025.

The time when white storks return from their winter quarters has changed in recent years; they always come back earlier. Helmut Vaas, the white stork representative for the Ostalbkreis, confirms that the locations in Böbingen are suitable for the settlement of white storks. However, there is no guarantee that they will settle, as the acceptance of a nesting aid can take years.

Symbol of nature conservation

The white stork, which is 95 to 110 cm tall and has predominantly white plumage with red legs and a red beak, is considered NABU's heraldic bird and has recovered since the 1980s, when it was almost extinct in Germany. According to NABU, the white stork is a symbol of successful nature conservation in Germany.

Although the population has recovered, white storks continue to face major challenges, such as habitat loss and the effects of climate change. The Federal Working Group (BAG) for White Stork Protection is committed to preserving the storks' habitat and also analyzes changes in migratory behavior. Interested citizens can participate in citizen science projects to contribute to scientific data collection.

The efforts in Böbingen are another step toward preserving these majestic birds in the region and underscore the important role that communities can play in nature conservation.