Cormorants, Photo: John Cazolis

Cormorants, like white-tailed eagles, ospreys, Eurasian otters, or pelicans, are considered as competitors for fishermen and were therefore hunted over a long period nearly to extinction in many parts of Europe. Since a couple of years, its numbers increased thanks to conservation efforts.

Quartet of gossamer-winged butterflies, Photo: Martin Schmidt

Four gossamer-winged butterflies gather for the night. Butterflies symbolise the beauty of biodiversity. With more than 160,000 noted species they are one of the most diverse animal orders in the world.

Alpine ibex, Photo: Willi Rolfes

In the beginning of the 19th century, the ibex were almost extinct in the Alps. Only on the Italian Gran Paradiso still lived about 100 animals. Thanks to conservation and reintroduction efforts, the species could be saved, and today, Alpine ibex again live in many parts of the Alps, like here in the Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria.

Robin in white frost, Photo: Oliver Richter

With its feathers ruffled up against the cold, the robin closely watches the photographer. Robins are solitary animals which are aggressive towards other members of the same species. Both male and female defend fix territories also in winter.

European rhinoceros beetle, Photo: Konrad Funk

The European rhinoceros beetle lives in old oak forest where he lays his eggs in rotten tree stumps. It is also satisfied with sawdust, compost, or bark mulch and therefore became more widespread in recent years.

Fighting black-winged stilts, Photo: Massimo Bottoni

Red eyes, a thin bill, and extremely long legs are the characteristics of the black-winged stilts. In Europe, these waders are widespread in the Mediterranean countries where they hunt small insects, crustaceans, and tadpoles in the shallow waters of lakes and lagoons.

European bee-eater, Photo: Siegmar Tylla

The colourful European bee-eaters are one of the gainers of the climate change and, since the early 1990s, seize new habitats in the north of Europe. By now, the birds breed in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Common cranes in a snowstorm, Photo: Michael Migos

The first common cranes already return to their breeding grounds in the north of Europe in the middle of March, when it can still be extremely cold. These cranes at Lake Hornborga in Sweden brave a snowstorm.

European hare, Photo: Günter Bachmeier

Since December 1994, the European hare is listed on the German List of Threatened Animals. The reasons for its decline are the intensification of agriculture, a high land consumption rate and increasing traffic.

Riparian forest, Photo: Gábor Takács

The photographer took the picture of this quiet scenery early in the morning near the river Drava in the south of Hungary.

Pied avocet chick, Photo: Francesco Renzi

A young pied avocet curiously discovers the world on the Dutch island Texel. A few weeks later, the fluffy chick will be an elegant, black-and-white bird with a characteristic, upturned bill.

Great tit, Photo: Carsten Braun

The great tit is not as good in climbing as the blue tit, the Eurasian nuthatch, or the treecreeper. But because it has a great adaptability and is not afraid, the great tit however is one of the most frequent birds in Europe.