Not extinct after all: Switzerland’s stork population is growing again
Keystone-SDA
The white stork population in Switzerland has been growing again for 25 years. After these migratory birds were considered extinct in Switzerland, 1,300 pairs are now breeding.
The organisation Storch Schweiz attributes this resurgence to a change in their migratory behaviour.
In the 1950s, the white stork was considered extinct in Switzerland. The number of breeding pairs of white storks in Switzerland has increased from 175 in 2000 to 1,310 in 2026. This trend is comparable to that in Germany.
A census on January 3, 2026 saw a record number of 1,771 overwintering storks in the country. The largest gatherings were found at well-known sites such as the Flachsee on the River Reuss in canton Aargau or at Neeracherried in canton Zurich.
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White stork comeback intensifies in Switzerland
A key reason for the rise in the population is a change in migratory behaviour. The storks no longer migrate to Africa as they used to, but often overwinter in southern Spain. Increasingly, they are also spending the winter directly in Switzerland.
Measures such as the restoration of wetlands, the creation of nesting sites and environmental education campaigns have ultimately led to a resurgence in numbers. Despite this positive development, the protection of the white stork remains an ongoing task, wrote Storch Schweiz. The conservation and expansion of suitable habitats are crucial to ensuring long-term success.
In Germany, too, more white storks are breeding than at any time since records began. The nature conservation organisation Nabu estimated 15,000 breeding pairs for the current season, as reported by the German Press Agency DPA. In the 1980s, there were fewer than 3,000 pairs in both German states combined.
A so-called migration divide runs through Germany. Storks east of this line continue to migrate via the Balkans to Africa. Those to the west now fly only as far as Spain, where they find food in rice fields and on rubbish tips. Three-quarters of Germany’s storks are now western migrants.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
