Bird flu is raging: cranes and numbers of wild ducks are in danger!

Bird flu is raging: cranes and numbers of wild ducks are in danger!

Bird flu is causing a stir in Western Pomerania, and not without reason. Today, November 16, 2025, the local media is reporting on a severe epidemic that is particularly affecting the cranes on their flight routes to Central Europe. Northern Courier documented that thousands of cranes were unable to reach their traditional sleeping places. The populations in the Bodden waters, the Putzarer See and the Galenbecker See have decreased drastically, so that only around 1,000 cranes could be recorded in the Landgrabental - a decline of around 2,000 specimens.

This decline in the crane population is alarming and shows a worrying trend. Anklam temporarily recorded as many as 24,000 cranes, but sightings now appear to be declining dramatically. An alarming discovery is that of a case of bird flu in the region, where a wigeon on the island of Poel tested positive for the H5N1 virus. This species is considered probably extinct in Pomerania and last nested on the Baltic Sea coast 50 years ago.

Endangered species and disease transmission

Bird flu is spreading worldwide and is particularly threatening wild bird populations, as well as cranes, which are particularly at risk due to their behavior during migration. Loud NABU Several thousand dead cranes have already accumulated in Germany since mid-October 2025. These animals gather at resting and sleeping places, which promotes transmission of the virus. The virus can survive in water, which increases the danger for cranes in the waterways.

In addition, reports were published that young white-tailed eagles were affected by the disease in 2022 and that cormorants served as food for them. However, the sea eagles in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have recovered, and the number of breeding pairs reached 510. This shows that there are not only dark clouds over the bird world, but also hope for recovery.

The wigeon and its return

A bright spot in the negative development is the increase in wigeons in Western Pomerania since the fall of communism, due to renaturation measures. These migrants from Northern Europe have now accumulated over 100,000 specimens in the Baltic Sea and Bodden waters. In recent days, a flock of 250 Wigeons were spotted in the coastal floodplain in Lassaner Winkel and 50 Wigeons were observed in a flock of 1,300 Russian Bean and White-fronted Geese. The characteristic appearance of the wigeon - from the chestnut brown head to the blue-gray bill - makes it unmistakable.

However, the challenges posed by bird flu are not just local, but global. Infections in wild birds are also being recorded in other parts of the world, and there have already been concerns about the virus in remote regions such as the Galapagos Islands. Unfortunately, vaccinating wild animals against H5N1 is hardly realistic, and safety in poultry farming urgently needs to be improved to contain such outbreaks.

The scythe of bird flu therefore remains an urgent issue in Western Pomerania. The population can take part in guided nature hikes, which not only help reduce stress, but also raise awareness about protecting our native bird species. Because, it seems, there is a lot to do with our nature and its preservation - both for the cranes, the wigeons and the multitude of feathered friends that roam our country.